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That big empty cement pool in Greenpoint has become a landmark. The recently rejuvinated (but still dry) McCarren Park Pool was designated such by the Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday morning.
McCarren was the 8th of 11 huge pools built by the Works Progress Administration, it was opened in 1936 with a dedication ceremony on July 31st of that year (making it the ripe old age of 71 in a few days). With an original capacity for 6800 swimmers, it was designed by Aymar Embury II - who worked on many commissions from the City of New York during the controversial Robert Moses era. Two of the other pools from that summer, The Sunset Park and Thomas Jefferson in East Harlem, were also designated landmarks yesterday.
Looking ahead, what does this mean for concert-goers and the $50 million Bloomberg recently announced would go towards restoring the pool? The Department of Parks and Recreation is currently holding community talks about the future. Any design changes, now that it's a landmark, will have to go before a commission. Some ideas for how the pool should be used from a community meeting last month included: a sandy beach, a skate park, a place to kayak and, of course, a pool. We think they should make more movies like this one there.
The LPC answers questions about landmarked buildings here, including what sort of changes can be made to one.
Photo via Soupflower's Flickr.
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as much as i like the fact that the pool is being used, i miss it in its old form - as a hulking, forbidden structure, with lots of graffiti.
i just hope they can preserve some of that paint that's on the floor of the pool.
nice. though i still think they should turn it back into one gigantic pool, not a smaller pool and park, etc. it's a really impressive space.
I agree with #2.
That film clip is fun. Great music!!!
thank goodness. as for preseving the paint, has anyone every considered lead?
You just couldn't bring yourself to note that this was one of the great pools built under......Robert Moses!
well, edEx, it's no better now, with people traipsing all over it and causing the paint to come off the pool surface.
Um #5 . . . "With an original capacity for 6800 swimmers, it was designed by Aymar Embury II - who worked on many commissions from the City of New York during the controversial Robert Moses era."
ah.... lead paint... the joys of olde.