Talking about Saving Domino Sugar
From the Downtown Brooklyn Star
Dateline : Thursday, March 29, 2007
Don’t Let It Fall Like Dominos
By Phil Guie
This past Saturday, the City Reliquary in Williamsburg held an event that wasn’t exactly half-baked.
On the contrary, the various homemade treats featured as part of the Don’t Demolish Domino Bake Sale, co-sponsored by the Waterfront Preservation Alliance (WPA) and the Reliquary, were fully cooked, not to mention rich and satisfying.
But the brownies, muffins, and other assorted treats were accompanied by some food for the mind as well. Historians and local activists were on hand spreading awareness of the Domino Sugar Factory, which has existed along Williamsburg’s waterfront for over 150 years.
Mary Habstritt of the Society for Industrial Archaeology offered a history of the site, which was sold and closed in 2004. Meanwhile, Stephanie Thayer of the Open Space Alliance (OSA) and Lisa Kersavage of the Municipal Art Society (MAS) talked about ongoing efforts to get it designated landmark status.
Currently, the factory is jointly owned by developer Isaac Katan and the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), which is in the business of creating affordable housing. However, the factory is reportedly in the hands of the latter’s for-profit subsidiary, CPC Resources, Inc., raising concerns as to whether market-rate housing will end up being built instead.
A representative of CPC Resources, Inc. confirmed that the subsidiary is developing plans for the site, with consideration for its historic legacy. They stressed that, whether the property is owned by the for-profit arm or not, the goal remains the same: Producing as much affordable housing as possible.
For their part, Thayer and Kersavage expressed support for the construction of affordable housing, but not at the expense of historically significant buildings. Kersavage told audience members that an independent letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission might help put the Domino Sugar Factory at the top of their list for designation.
Preferably for Kersavage, the site would receive its landmark status soon, to head off any rezoning that may take place. Should it happen the other way around, she said a developer could argue for tearing down the structures on grounds that the neighborhood had been rezoned for greater bulk and density.
As far as MAS is concerned, the site as it is could potentially accommodate lots of affordable housing. “They’re really beautiful buildings, but they’re a complex, so we need more than one to get a feel for the complex,” Kersavage said.