One of the great urban success stories of recent decades has been the adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Where once we simply demolished historic buildings to create "blank slates" for new development, planners and developers increasingly have recognized the tremendous economic, cultural and social value in reusing existing structures while still allowing for new development. Jane Jacobs famously said that “Lively, diverse, intense cities contain the seeds of their own regeneration” and today we can see the results of adaptive reuse in Soho, Tribeca and other vibrant, economically successful neighborhoods across the city.
Unfortunately, Forest City Ratner does not propose to heed this lesson: they plan to demolish all of the historic buildings in the project footprint. Two of the most historically significant buildings - the Ward Bakery (pictured above) and the Long Island Railroad Stables Building - will be razed to create unnecessary surface parking lots and construction staging areas that will last until 2016 at the earliest – and could even be permanent. (To read more on the plans for surface parking lots click here)
Credit: BenBen
There are several reasons why they should think again. First, these buildings are a physical embodiment of Brooklyn's history, and if they're demolished, we'll lose that history forever. The Ward Bakery, for example, is a testament to the active industry that used to be near the railyards: it was built there in 1910 so that it could easily receive incoming shipments of flour which arrived by train. The Bakery's white glazed terra cotta tiles and renaissance details make it one of the most distinctive industrial buildings on the project footprint. Diagonally across from the Bakery is the former Long Island Railroad Stables, built in 1906 as a stable for horses that delivered raw materials arriving by rail to nearby industries. As such, it's a testmament to the livery industry that once powered New York's economy. The LIR Stables also has a distinctive architectural style, with flat-arched windows, terra-cotta cornices and stylized parapets. Both of these buildings have been found to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places – and reusing them would create a development with a stronger relationship to Brooklyn's history.
Second, preserving buildings while allowing for new development is a sound planning principle: the most successful neighborhoods in New York are both functionally and aesthetically diverse – an exciting juxtaposition of old and new buildings. Entirely new developments, by contrast, tend to feel monotonous and sterile – think Starrett City. Reusing the Ward Bakery and the LIR Stables - both buildings have floorplates that could be adapted for housing or other uses – will not only make the development more diverse, but ensure some of the existing neighborhood character remains, enabling the development to integrate better with the surrounding neighborhoods - instead of having the "space-ship landing" effect that the current plan will have.
New York has a come a long way since the days of urban renewal and the wholesale clearance of existing neighborhoods. Striking a balance between new development and preservation has worked for neighborhoods across the city and it would work for the Atlantic Yards site.
Update: Click here to sign a petition to save the Ward Bakery
