June 14, 2007
National Trust Calls Brooklyn Waterfront "Endangered"
The National Trust for Historic Preservation released its 20th annual list of the 11 Most Endangered Places in the United States and Brooklyn's Industrial Waterfront topped the 2007 list of sites. The organization describes the industrial waterfront's history:
For more than a century, the New York City region was one of this country’s dominant manufacturing hubs. Due to its location on the East River and the New York Harbor, Brooklyn was the city’s industrial center with scores of maritime operations, factories, warehouses and sugar refineries. In the second half of the twentieth century, industry declined, and what’s left of that striking architectural and historical legacy is now at risk. Also at risk are the places that make Brooklyn “work,” the buildings and sites that house manufacturing and industrial jobs.According to the National Trust for Historical Preservation, developers eager to cash in on a hot real estate market threaten to destroy Brooklyn's industrial legacy and the organization urges people to encourage Mayor Bloomberg to adequately fund New York's Landmarks Preservation Commission. The New York Times looks at the Trust's designation and notes that in 2005, 1,740 new building permits and 1,924 demolition permits were issued in Brooklyn. We have a list and photographs of the endangered Brooklyn sites after the jump.
It's not the National Trust for Historic Preservation's first notice of an endangered New York structure, although the prior list was not nearly as sweeping. In 2004, the Trust identified 2 Columbus Circle as one of the 11 Most Endangered Places in the U.S. It said the odd-looking building with a mixed reputation was an icon of the Modern Movement in architecture. Just last week, The World Monuments Fund listed the New York State Pavillion in Queens as one of the most endangered structures on the planet.
Noted endangered sites or structures already lost are:
Red Hook's Civil War-era Graving Dock, to be paved over and turned into an IKEA parking lot
Photograph by Nathan Kensinger; also see more here
The Austin, Nichols Warehouse designed by Cass Gilbert, under expansion for conversion to luxury condos:
Photograph by imjustsayin
The Greenpoint Terminal Market, burned in a fire last year:
Photograph from Bluejake
The Old Dutch Mustard Factory:
Photograph from Triborough; also see a set from UrbanFoto
The Domino Sugar factory, current fate undetermined:
Photograph from Bluejake
And the Revere Sugar Refinery (pictured at the top of the post) in Red Hook, recently demolished.
Photograph from Bluejake
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Not every old factory can or should be saved, but there's got to be a compromise between supposed urban growth and a preservation of locations that make New York what it is. The destruction of any one of these buildings wouldnt be the travesty that was the destruction of, say, old Penn Station, however the destruction of ALL of them would be.
Berlin has done an amazing job preserving old industrial spaces while cashing in on new development. NYC should take notes.
As long as they save the civil war era buildings, I have no problem with them tearing down the rest, it's pretty but ugly in reality. Fug man, Fairway is down there and soon Ikea. Red Hook is off the hook. I bet crime starts to rise down there as well with all the yuppies driving around the "Straight out of Brooklyn" hood. (see that movie if you haven't).
And because these buildings cater to people with vehicles, there will only be more of those, but is NYC improving it's roads for them? NO! They are reducing lanes on 4th ave, Brooklyn and puting in useless bike lanes. Useless, because bicyclists bike where ever they please, not on some busy road where the drivers are all pissed off because of the traffic.
Get real.
So true Chris. Brooklyn would be well served to see how Berlin mixes its past and future. Even though the landmarks and ruins of Berlin have a far more foreboding and historical value, the overall effect in juxtiposition to its new developments is breathtaking.
These buildings dont just need to be standing around either. Their facades can remain structurally as is, but can be used for other purposes.
For instance, in the former east Berlin, there was an abandoned cigarette factory that had been turned into an art space and dance club that was far more fantastic than anything our city has seen recently.
I totally agree the waterfront needs to be preserved (there are some amazing buildings there) but it's a bit disingenuous to say that the Brooklyn waterfront "topped" the list. The NTHP's list is released alphabetically.
Why don't they do to these places what they've done to Chelsea Market that's in the National Biscuit Co. Factory building.
They can make a dance club out of it, or marketplace. It'd be cool. Just preserve the structure.
Haha .. Just read the bit about the alphabetical part. Kinda funny.