Brooklyn's industrial waterfront was named one of the 11 most endangered places in America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation last year. "A Civil War-era graving dock in Red Hook was paved over and is now a parking lot for Ikea; the old Dutch Mustard Company building in Williamsburg was torn down and turned into condominiums; and the Greenpoint Terminal Market, a former rope factory, was destroyed by fire," writes the NY Times. The article summarizes a panel on “Recycling New York’s Industrial Past: Inspiration from Home and Abroad," held at the Municipal Art Society last week. "Panelists argued that preservation does not just serve nostalgia, but has tangible economic and environmental benefits, creating jobs and reducing the waste from demolition. And they identified several buildings that they said deserved to be saved." Those include the National Cold Storage Buildings on Furman Street and Admirals' Row in the Navy Yard. Losses they lament: Revere Sugar Factory in Red Hook, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Power Plant in Williamsburg and the LIRR powerhouse in Long Island City.
Preserving New York's Industrial Past [NY Times]
Photo by masnyc.
