[All photos for GL courtesy of Nathan Kensinger Photgraphy]
Boy, we’ve been writing a lot about the warehouse on the Public Place site in the last week. But the hell with writing, GL Contributing photographer Nathan Kensinger, along with a couple of other famed Brooklyn photographic adventurers, got into the site over the weekend. Mr. Kensinger dropped some of the hottest demo porn we’ve seen in a long time into our inbox and we had to seriously restrain ourselves from running it yesterday because so many people weren’t online reading blogs. The hysterical thing about this is that a week ago, we ran an item about an email from Council Member Bill de Blasio’s office about how demolition would be “starting soon.” Starting soon? It looks like either they’ve got the fastest demolition crew on God’s earth short of bombs working in there or the demo started quite a long time ago and pubic information has once again–how to put this?–been miscommunicated. (We’d say people are deliberately trying to keep neighbors in the dark and that this is one of the most obscene threats to public safety we’ve seen in a long time, but we know that doesn’t happen in Brooklyn. Ever. Because everything in every development procress is transparent, open and honest. The Founding Fathers deemed it so.) To put it crudely, the only freaking thing left of the f’ing building are the exterior walls. In any case, the so-called Abadi Warehouse is not part of the Gowanus Green development. The fate of the land underneath it, once some of the toxins are removed (and the plan is to only remove some toxins because a total cleanup is almost impossible…it’s that toxic), will be part of an independent proposal. Enjoy the demo porn. It’s blazing hot. Mr. Kensinger writes: “From the street, it looks like the warehouse is still standing, but inside its like a moonscape, stripped bare of all defining details and covered in white dust. There was a stop work order posted on one of the doors, dated 2-12-09. [We believe it is for unsafe demolition.] However, there is not much left to stop work on. The entire factory is almost gone, to be replaced by more housing… and the industrial jobs have been moved to New Jersey.” All that aside, how work like this could be done without measures taken to protect the public (like scaffolding) is mindboggling. This thing has wall collapse written all over it.
GL Analysis:
DO NOT GO NEAR THIS THING. If you’ve got a spare moment, drop some of our public officials a note about why the public notice was clearly shoddy and why they’ve allowed a situation that could kill people walking on Smith or Huntington Street to occur. Thank you Nate, for documenting what it truly an outrage.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Josh // Feb 17, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Goodbye Neckface…
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/66/192331047_561dd69fd6.jpg?v=0
2 alan // Feb 17, 2009 at 4:57 pm
There are safety walls all around the entire building, cutting off about half the sidewalk
3 cwt // Feb 17, 2009 at 4:58 pm
sweet, cant wait to move into the place on huntington i just bought
4 Judy // Feb 18, 2009 at 12:25 am
There’s a place I’m considering buying on Huntington, but feel I’d be putting myself in toxic danger during and after the so-called “cleanup”. Any comments on just how toxic this area is?
5 gowanus // Feb 18, 2009 at 8:19 am
As of Sunday, there were not safety walls around the building. There were decrepit chain link fences full of rips and small pillars leaning against the exterior wall, to support it, maybe?
6 rsguskind // Feb 18, 2009 at 11:01 am
Judy, I rarely do this. But I will offer my opinion: I would not touch a property on Huntington Street near that site because I do not trust the DEC to properly supervise a very complex cleanup of one of the most toxic sites in NYC in a thorough way. So far, the indicators are not good. The toxins are somewhat harmless left 150 feet underground. But tons of contaminants are to be removed. Vapors will get into the air. Tainted substances will be trucked through the neighborhood. Frankly, I feel it is almost a criminal act to put housing on this site using the cap and cover method, which has become more and more suspect among experts. It should be remediated and used as open space or for uses that minimize human exposure to any toxins that will be left over. If one reads all the documents, including the National Grid Cleanup documents they are sobering. But the main thing is that I have ZERO faith DEC will oversee the cleanup in a thorough manner and that our elected officials will hold a fire to their feet.
7 Batman // Feb 18, 2009 at 11:29 am
Why does anyone care? Why do you care if you’re noticed about something that is legal to do? Why can’t you just shut up and let them work in peace?
8 craptain // Feb 18, 2009 at 1:33 pm
As an experienced laborer and construction worker in NYC, I can tell you from the inside, that really the only hazardous dangers people face from projects like this are airborne dangers..The asbestos dust and other contaminants that are present are only harmful to somebody breathing them in at very close proximity..The drinking water that we drink in NYC comes from upstate and groundwater contamination is not an issue unless you are getting your water from a local aquifer. Even if you live close by, most of the pollutants blowing around will not be harmful to you unless you put your face in a pile and snort it..
9 jb sloper // Feb 18, 2009 at 2:54 pm
I love it people were complaining for decades something has to be done and then they complain when it is – yes 20% of the population is/are losers, never satisfied – your life sucks deal with it – it’s amazing, where is that big asteroid I was promissed would wipe us out? please get here quick. don’t think there’s anything worse than a edumacated hippie
10 john // May 9, 2009 at 7:07 am
What is psoriasis? What causes psoriasis? Is there a cure or treatment for psoriasis? Psoriasis is a skin condition, it is a disease, but it is not contagious. The name comes from the Greek word for “itch.” It can be hereditary, caused by external influences (allergic reaction to foods or the environment) and sometimes stress. 4-5% of the population is known to be affected, and this number is growing. However, it is suspected that 1 in 5 people have some form of psoriasis either descripts or none descript. Once you have psoriasis, it is very likely you will have it for ever. It may go away, and come back. It might respond to various treatments, and it may not. Basically psoriasis is your body over producing skin cells. You have too many skin cells in one location which is why it often swells up, becomes dry and even flaky. It can often be very itchy, red, sore, cracked and very tender. Psoriasis usually affect the scalp, hands, stomach, knees, feet and elbows. It is linked to dandruff and unfortunately to some forms of arthritis.
http://www.superherbalcare.com
11 Gowanus, Brooklyn – July 6, 2009 « LENS // Jul 7, 2009 at 10:18 am
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12 david // Aug 11, 2009 at 9:52 am
well, the wall just collapsed
13 local // Aug 11, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Surely enough, the walls collapsed today. Some cars parked on the street got buried in the rubble.
14 Carroll Gardener // Aug 12, 2009 at 11:14 am
“This thing has wall collapse written all over it.” Unfortunately all too prophetic as this thing finally fell over the other day damaging 7 cars ,but luckily harming no one…
15 Marc Farre // Aug 13, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Bob, vindicated once again…
http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/32/32_32_mm_building_collapse_on_smith.html
RIP, old friend, you got the last laugh…