Gowanus Activists Holding Press Conference Today To Call For Landmarks Designation For Key Neighborhood Structures Ahead Of Proposed Rezoning

Gowanus Flushing Tunnel Pumphouse

ASPCA Memorial Building and horse trough 

 Eureka Garage

American Can Building 

A coalition, which includes Friend and Residents of Greater Gowanus (FROGG), Historic Districts Council, Old Stone House, Park Slope Civic Council, CG CORD (Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development), as well as many Gowanus residents, will be holding a press conference this morning at 9:30 am on the Union Street Bridge to advocate for the landmarking of specific historic buildings that add significantly to the character of the neighborhood.
The hope of the coalition is to draw attention to these structures ahead of the proposed rezoning of the Gowanus Canal corridor, which is being pushed forward by Council Members Stephen Levin and Brad Landers, and by real estate speculators, who want to open the mostly industrial neighborhood to more residential development.

Here is the Coalition's press release and a list of structures that its members would like to see landmarked, before it is to late to save them.

COALITION: DESIGNATE GOWANUS LANDMARKS BEFORE EXPECTED REZONING
Press Conference Slated for May 22, 2018 

GOWANUS - With rezoning imminent, a coalition of Gowanus-area individuals and
organizations announced a press conference calling for landmarking of key historical and
architectural structures in the vicinity of the Gowanus Canal.
“Rezoning plans may be announced for Gowanus any day now,” said Linda Mariano of Friends
and Residents of Greater Gowanus (FROGG), “and while this coalition proposed a group of
landmarks last summer during the Gowanus Places Study, it’s more important than ever to
reiterate our call. Without landmark protection, our neighborhood is vulnerable to losing its
most defining features.”

The Coalition’s “Coffee and a Press Conference” is slated for Tuesday, May 22 at 9:30 a.m. at
the door to the Union Street Bridge operator’s house. The full list of proposed Gowanus
landmarks will be handed out at the press conference.
“Citywide, we’ve seen that it’s critically important for neighborhoods to stand up for what’s
important to them before rezoning arrives,” said Kelly Carroll of Historic Districts Council. “East
New York is a perfect example. Designating the proposed Gowanus landmarks at the city level
will ensure that Gowanus does not become ‘just another place’ as rampant development
moves in.”

Numerous residents who have filed requests for evaluation of potential landmarks in Gowanus
have been informed that the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission is currently conducting
a study of potential landmarks in the area.

“It’s encouraging to hear that a survey is underway,” said Peter Bray of the Park Slope Civic
Council, “But we have not heard encouraging things about how many landmarks the survey is
likely to turn up. We hope the LPC will take a real, meaningful look at the sites this Coalition is
proposing for designation - and recognize the multi-faceted industrial history of Gowanus.”

Many of the buildings on the Coalition’s list were deemed eligible for inclusion in a national
register historic district. The sites range from the neighborhood’s flushing tunnel pumphouse
to the former Brooklyn offices of the ASPCA - and the well-known “Bat Cave” building that was
once home to the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Powerhouse.

“Gowanus is really unique - and so is this list of proposed landmarks,” said Kim Maier, Executive

Director of the Old Stone House. “The neighborhood has very few officially-designated
landmarks at present, and designating these additional structures allows the neighborhood to
keep telling its stories well into the future.”

The Coalition specifically seeks designation of more than a token few individual landmarks as
re-zoning looms.
“Rezoning tends to induce a major set of changes in an historic neighborhood,” said Gowanus
resident Brad Vogel, “and landmarking more than a few token buildings in Gowanus is
necessary to keep those changes from having a ‘scorched earth’ feel that leaves the
neighborhood feeling entirely unfamiliar.”

Coalition members include but are not limited to: Friend and Residents of Greater Gowanus
(FROGG), Historic Districts Council, Old Stone House, Park Slope Civic Council, CG CORD (Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development)

A sampling of some of the proposed Gowanus landmarks (full list available at press conference):
- Gowanus Flushing Tunnel Pumphouse (1905 - 1911)
- ASPCA Memorial Building and horse trough (1913, later additions 1922)
- American Can Building (Somers Brothers Tin Box Factory) (chiefly 1886)
- S.W. Bowne Grain Storehouse (1880s)
- Union Street Bridge operator’s house (mid 20th Century)
- Eureka Garage (1923)
- Belgian Block street-ends abutting Gowanus Canal (late 19th Century)
- T. H. Roulston Inc. buildings (c. 1910)


Update:

Here are a few photos of today's press event on the Union Street Bridge taken by Gowanus resident “The Gas Drip Bard.” Thanks for sharing, Bard!

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Historic District Council And Preservationists Continue Push Against Shrinking Coignet Building Site In Gowanus

’Historic District Council (HDC), the Citywide Advocate for New York's Historic Neighborhoods, is currently circulating a petition to be sent to the NYC Council's Landmarks Subcommittee in regards to the landmark Coignet Building on the intersection of Third Street and Third Avenue in Gowanus.
HDC is asking the Landmark's Subcommittee to not grant Whole Foods Market, the owner, a special dispensation from the New York City Landmarks Law that governs the historic building.
Whole Foods wants to annex part of the Coignet building site to make the design of their proposed food market fit on the adjacent site "without any consideration given to how that new structure will impose itself on the designated landmark building." If granted, there will only be a five-foot “buffer zone” between the Coignet building and the new WF bi-box retail store.
On January 24th, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to reduce the size of the lot.
The Council's Landmarks Sub Committee (chaired by Councilmember Brad Lander)  will vote on this matter soon, before it is taken up by the entire Council.
HDC's petition reads:
"The Coignet building must be given the proper protection it currently has under the Landmarks Law. Whole Foods should comply with this law just as any owner of a landmark is required to. Whole Foods must make a proper Landmarks Public Hearing that shows just how their proposed development will relate to the Coignet Building."
If Whole Foods is allowed to alter the landmark site in order to avoid the normal Landmarks Preservation Commission review process, this will opens the way for all who want to build upon a landmarked site and avoid any LPC oversight. Maybe St Bart's Church can request a "Whole Foods" ruling and start building that glass tower they wanted to cantilever on their landmark church site 30 years ago.
We ask that City Council not damage Landmark Law by allowing any developer to manipulate and thus avoid the law in this manner."
On January 24th, the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously to reduce the size of the lot.The Council's Landmarks Sub Committee will vote on this this week, before the matter will be taken upthe flu Council.
To sign HDC's petition, click here.

A brief history of the Coignet building from HDC:

"The New York and Long Island Stone Company Coignet Building was constructed as a show case for what the manufacturer’s product could do, create a strong, elegant, detailed building at a cost less than real stone. It is easy to forget that this is the earliest known concrete building in New York City, and one of the earliest in the country, due to the fact it has been primarily covered over with faux brick. Areas of the west and south façades though are uncovered and the building’s reason for being, concrete, is visible. While these two walls are certainly secondary to the main façades on Third Avenue and Third Street, they are not plain and instead some of the same detailing including arched windows, quoins and stringcourse are carried over. The west façade also includes a bay identical in design to the bays on the primary façades. It is troublesome that after years of planning by Whole Foods, the company is only now dealing with the fact that it owns a designated site and is asking the landmark to bear the brunt of the project. As shown in renderings, plans and elevations presented to the Brooklyn Community Board 6 Land Use Committee in August, the Coignet Building would be engulfed by new structures, while the other half of the block would be a parking lot. Obviously there are other arrangements on this block that would be more appropriate for the landmark. Although buildings were once unfortunately built up against the Coignet Building, probably in the mid-20th century, as their ghosts on the side walls show, they were shorter. Other factory buildings on the block were described by Brooklyn Daily Eagle in June 1872 as 32 feet tall – about 20 feet shorter than the planned Whole Foods buildings. The Coignet Building was always allowed to retain its prominence on the block. HDC urges you to keep the boundaries as they are so that any alterations to the sight are overseen by LPC and sensitively help preserve one of the few landmarks in Gowanus."

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