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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The Municipal Art Society Of New York's 'Jane's Walk 2016' Included A Fascinating Tour Of Gowanus Led By Long-Time Resident Linda Mariano

Linda Mariano, long time resident and guide of the Municipal Art Society Of New York's 'Jane Walk 2016 Gowanus'.

This past week-end, the Municipal Art Society Of New York organized more than 200 citizen-led neighborhood walks around New York City as part of the sixth annual Jane's Walk.

Inspired by activist and journalist Jane Jacobs, who authored The Death And Life Of Great American Cities in 1961, the walks are meant to get people to explore their city and connect residents to their communities.

One of the walks was organized by my good friend and long time Gowanus resident Linda Mariano, who is a passionate advocate of her neighborhood in her own right. The walk included a tour of the Gowanus Canal Pumping Station and Flushing Tunnel at Butler Street, a tour of J&M Special Effects at 524 Sackett Street and a visit to the Old Stone House at Washington Park, located at the corner of Third Street and 4th Avenue.

It was a fascinating look at Gowanus' history, industry and infrastructure.

The Gowanus Canal at Butler Street

Kevin Clarke. left, of NYC Department Of Environmental Protection explaining about the Gowanus Canal pumping station and flushing tunnel

The first stop on the walk was at the head of the 1.8 mile Gowanus Canal. Kevin Clarke, an environmental engineer for New York City's Department Of Environmental Protection, gave the group an overview of the facilities at Butler Street  that are designed to flush out and oxygenate the fetid canal by pulling in clean water from Buttermilk Channel.

The original flushing tunnel was completed in June 1911 but it relied on a huge steam-powered ship propellor that failed in the 1960's. For more than 30 years, the tunnel and the flushing mechanism lay in disrepair.  In 1999, the City refurbished and reactivate the system, but the attempt was less than successful.
Finally, in 2013, DEP began a thorough upgrade of both the tunnel and the flushing system.

The upgrade included significant improvements, which replaced the ship's propeller with vertical turbine pumps. All three pumps were switched on in May 2014. This new piece of infrastructure has increased the flow of fresh water into the canal from 150 million gallons a day to 215 gallons a day.

Allison Aaron of J&M Special Effects

The second stop of the Gowanus walking tour was a visit to J&;M Special Effects, a very unique business located in an old brick warehouse adjacent to the canal at Sackett Street.

J&M has been serving the entertainment industry since 1985, supplying the entertainment industry with pyrotechnics, smoke, rain, fire, wind, snow, and unique custom effects along with theatrical weapons, and blood.  J&M's effects are used in theaters, for films, TV, still photography and commercials and can currently been seen in 'The Crucible' on Broadway and in 'American Psycho'.

Co-owner and pyrotechnical Allison Aaron led the group around the facility and explained that this industry is highly regulated and finding a suitable location is difficult since the business needs to be in a self contained, free standing space, with high ceilings and lots of ventilation.
More importantly, proximity to the performing arts community it serves is crucial to its existence.

Gowanus has been home to J&M for the past 11 years and the business has clearly thrived here despite severe damage during Hurricane Sandy. (Parts of the building were under four and a half feet of water.) What will happen after J&M's lease runs out in 9 years? For the past several years, New York City and our Councilman Brad Lander have been talking about a Gowanus rezoning which would re-map a lot of industrial spaces for residential use.

It would be difficult to imagine Gowanus without businesses like J&M. One hopes that they will have a future in this neighborhood and will be allowed to grow in this City, despite the pressures of developers and politicians.

Kim Maier, Executive Director of The Old Stone House

The last stop on the Jane Walk 2016 tour of Gowanus was at the Old Stone House, a reconstructed 1699 Dutch farmhouse that was central to the Battle of Brooklyn. The house is located in Washington Park and JJ Byrne Playground, at the border of Gowanus and Park Slope.

Kim Maier, Executive Director of this historic site and museum, explained that the home was originally built in 1699 by the Vechte family, Dutch immigrants who farmed the land along Gowanus Creek and transported their produce to lower Manhattan. It was sold to the Cortelyou family in 1790 and in 1852, it was bought by Edwin Litchfield, a rich railroad developer.

The house became a significant landmark of the American Revolutionary war. On August 27, 1776, the first battle in the conflict between George Washington's Continental Army and the British took place right in front of its doorsteps.

A visit to the Old Stone House's museum is certainly worthwhile.  Don't forget to walk up the steps to see the long room upstairs and take time to admire the wonderful plantings in the small garden surrounding the house.


I would like to thank my friend Linda Mariano for allowing me to join her Gowanus tour.  Linda is a true inspiration to me.  She has been fighting to protect the integrity of Gowanus as a vibrant industrial neighborhood, has fought tirelessly for a thorough clean-up of the canal, and knows virtually everyone in the neighborhood.  I could not have imagined a better guide for this walking tour.
Linda, you are a modern day Jane Jacobs and my hero.  Keep on fighting!

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Young Writers Night At the Old Stone House

The Old Stone House will be hosting it's annual 'Young Writers Night' as part of their Brooklyn Reading Works a monthly thematic reading series. The event will be featuring fiction, poetry and song by New York City teenagers. Here is more information:

Come one and all to this celebration of fiction, poetry and song by teenage writers curated by high school senior Hannah Frishberg (. The event will be introduced by Brooklyn Poet Laureate Tina Chang. An editor from One Teen Story will be on hand to distribute FREE copies of the first issue of One Teen Story.  This is a Brooklyn Book Festival Bookend Event.  

Young Writers Night

Thusrday, September 20th

Location: The Old Stone House

336 3rd Street (between 4th and 5th Avenues)

Time: 7:00 pm

Price: Free (donations welcome)

For info: 718-288-4290

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Dreaming Big: Community Envisions A True " Public Place" In Carroll Gardens

Public Place in Carroll Gardens

A view of Public Place from 4th Place in the  1930's

What is your vision for Public Place, the six acre brownfield site which runs along the Gowanus Canal and Smith Street in Carroll Gardens? That was the question posed to participants of a Community Mural Making Workshop with Artist Triada Samaras, and Carroll Gardens CORD/Coalition for Respectful Development on Sunday Afternoon.
The free workshop event was part of the current Brooklyn Utopias: Park Space, Play Space Exhibition at the Old Stone House.

Though our local elected Representatives envision a 774-unit, mixed-income, mixed-use residential development for Public Place after remediation, those in attendance yesterday envisioned a true public space
Fourteen-year-old Aather proudly showed of her brightly colored vision yesterday.
"I would like to see many flowers, a place for people to walk, a place for people to garden."

Rose and Charlotte held up their idea of what should be built on Public Place. "It's like a pool party. We made a huge community lake. It's where a lot of people are swimming together. It's free. People come around the world to see it. And it's good for the earth, instead of putting chlorine in it . But you want to war a bathing suit because its open to everyone. And frogs and toads come in."

Others dreamed of a library, a giant water fountain and green spaces. And lots of flowers and blue sky.

Perhaps they could teach City Planning a thing or two?

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