For years we've been discussing the fate of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's beloved 19th-century houses that make up Admiral's Row. Our own Jake Dobkin even risked life and limb to get inside and document the houses in their beautiful decay, as the city talked of plans for leveling them. Despite protests to salvage the Row, it looks like its destiny is destruction, and this Monday nine of the eleven structures will be cleared, with two—the Timber Shed and Quarters B—being restored "for daily use," according to the NY Times. These have now been "transferred by the federal government to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, which manages the old 300-acre yard, now an industrial park of 275 businesses." more ›

Even though the National Guard and the city agreed to preserve the Timber Shed at the deteriorating Admiral's Row in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, it turns out the structure may not stand a chance (the recent winters haven't helped it out!). WNYC has an update today that states the National Guard Bureau engineers think it can't be repaired, and should be demolished instead. However, at least one architect believes it has enough structural integrity to be saved. He explains, "The 19th-century development is solid, plume, level and square. The 20th-century development is what is falling off." more ›

Here's a look at what the Brooklyn Navy Yard looked like back in the day, and here's a look at what's become of the beautiful homes of Admiral's Row, which at one time housed high-ranking officers and their families. And now Brownstoner has obtained some renderings of what the area could look like in the future... when it's home to a supermarket. The site notes that these are for the proposed redevelopment of Admiral's Row by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp., and still contain the Timber Shed (which is supposed to be saved, according to current plans). At least the Commandant's House isn't turning in to a strip mall... yet. more ›

For two hours a week, there's a museum off the BQE that opens its doors and fights for the preservation of Admiral's Row in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The NY Times reports on Scott Witter's cause, which is displayed on a sign in his museum; it reads: “Don’t let Pirate Mike steal our heritage.” more ›

Brooklyn Navy Yard's doomed Admiral's Row just suffered another devastating blow—but this time it was delivered by the hands of Mother Nature, not Mayor Bloomberg. Yesterday's rain storm helped in further destroying one of the former residences (known as Building C) along Flushing Avenue, which collapsed (at least partially) from water damage. Of course, the building would have been torn down at the hands of man anyway, to make way for the almighty supermarket. Curbed has some photos from the scene. more ›

The Municipal Art Society attended a meeting today at which the negotiations between the National Guard, the owner of the property, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) discussed the future of the buildings at Admiral's Row. The meeting was part of the federally-mandated Section 106 process that requires federal agencies to study the impact of their actions on important historic buildings. Sadly, it seems their minds were made up, the Brooklyn Paper reports that they will save two of the historic buildings in the Brooklyn Navy Yard and destroy the others, making way for a supermarket. more ›

Long have the houses on Admiral's Row in the Brooklyn Navy Yard been crumbling, and long have the preservationists fought developers who would like to tear them down and put in their place a supermarket. Crain's is now reporting that "a compromise deal between the National Guard and the Brooklyn Navy Yard's operator is set to raze all but one of the crumbling historic homes." Word comes from unnamed sources at this point, who say the plan will be revealed in late April and will salvage the structure known as the Timber Shed (which is allegedly "the oldest surviving wooden timber shed in the United States"). The supermarket will bring jobs and fresh produce to the surrounding Brooklyn neighborhoods, the developers have argued, but the preservationists have noted that all ten houses could be saved even if a supermarket moved in. Just no one tell Wal-Mart about the soon to be vacant lot. more ›

This past weekend our very own Jake Dobkin infiltrated the Brooklyn Navy Yard once again, this time hitting up Admiral's Row. According to Officer’s Row, the authority on the area, the "small section of the Brooklyn Navy Yard was home to high-ranking officers and their families. The ten houses (six buildings) were built between 1864 and 1901. Surrounded by a high brick wall and iron gates, Officer's Row was a small piece of beauty amidst a bustling industrial neighborhood. It housed tennis courts, a stable-turned ice skating rink, and parade grounds. Several varieties of fruit trees and a communal vegetable garden could be found dotting the landscape." (Here are some exterior shots.) more ›

The Municipal Arts Society presented some alternative ideas to the U.S. Army National Guard Bureau about the fate of Admiral's Row. The MAS hopes to show it's possible to "retain the historic buildings on the Admiral’s Row site while also allowing for the construction of a much-needed supermarket and new retail and industrial space." While six plans were presented, here's a look at how stark the visions are, by looking at renderings (created by the MAS) to see the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corpration's plan just seems like a parking lot, vs. a greener idea from MAS:

The renderings illustrate the stark differences between the concept behind one of the MAS alternatives and the BNYDC’s proposal. In the MAS alternative, the historic houses along Flushing Street are retained and are used on their ground floor as retail to encourage pedestrians to walk between the houses into a central green space. By contrast, the same viewpoint in the BNYDC’s plan simply shows the suburban-sized supermarket and acres of asphalt and concrete.

It's unclear what the fate of 19th century rowhouses near the Brooklyn Navy Yard, originally built for high-ranking officers of the U.S. Navy, will be, as some are looking to demolish the historic but dilapidated homes while others are hoping they can be saved and preserved. Photographer Nathan Kensinger headed in for a rare look inside the homes and wrote:

This strip of six buildings was abandoned by the Navy in the 1970's and left to decay. Today, the interiors of several buildings are in a state of irreparable collapse. Fires and rain have destroyed roofs and floors while squatters have left mountains of debris. Vines and trees have moved indoors. Windows and walls have exploded inwards. Entire floors are missing.

However, some of the buildings are in remarkably good condition. Their staircases, light fixtures, plasterwork, shelves, mantlepieces and wood floors are only in need of polish and paint. The beauty of these architectural details, when compared to the complete devastation in other buildings, is a stunning indictment of the Navy's neglect.

The series of residential structures lining Flushing Ave. in Brooklyn are historic treasures, but they are a little the worse for wear and some legislators can't wait to tear them down. Officers' Row, or Admirals' Row, is a feature at the Brooklyn Navy Yard that has admittedly fallen into sad disrepair, but nonetheless has a rich history linking New York harbor to the naval industry that was a cornerstone of building the United States as an international power. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a stabbing on 20th Ave. and the Whitestone Expressway in Queens, a slashing on Van Siclen Ave. and Linden Blvd. in Brooklyn, and three people were shot (one homicide) on Hoe Ave. in the Bronx.
• Just when you thought crime in Newark could not possibly get worse, a witness in a major drug trial was murdered before he could testify. Cops believe that his killing was facilitated by a defense lawyer, who is a former Newark prosecutor.
• The neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn is getting 72 new bike racks for cyclists.
• Marble Hill residents fought to keep their neighborhood part of Manhattan as it was being geographically separated from the island and made contiguous with the Bronx. Now a Marble Hill woman is fighting to get her Housing Court lawsuit heard in a Bronx court, which tends to be a much friendlier venue for tenant claims.
• Preservationists are grasping at straws to prevent the imminent destruction of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's Admirals Row. The federal government will have a small say in the matter.
• An apartment on 79th St. and Amsterdam Ave. on Manhattan's Upper West Side was robbed today, when two men posing as delivery workers forced their way into an apartment.
• The Week in Pictures from the Times blog City Room. That will be the last you'll hear from them until the 26th, as Gothamist staffers soldier on.
• The Mexican government was required to open a mini-consulate at JFK to deal with its citizens attempting to fly home for the holidays without proper documentation.

Callalillie has posted some new pictures to her Officer's Row photoset on Flickr. Over the summer, someone posted an incredibly detailed message in painting-tape on the stone wall along Flushing Street. In part, it reads: "admirals row not death row-- a reprieve, they're innocent!" It'd be a shame to lose these buildings-- they should really be turned into a museum, or at least redeveloped into housing-- that side of Flushing Avenue is totally barren right now. Anyone know what's going on with the redevelopment plans? more ›