Admiral's Row: A Few Truths, Part One
Well, HDC went to the Public Meeting and the Press Conference this evening about the Admiral’s Row Section 106 process – and we were shocked at the misinformation that’s being propagated by the “Tear These Buildings Down!” crowd. Here are a few real facts about the process and the site to counter the misinformation:
– of the 11 historic buildings, 9 are structurally stable. The Beardsley Report (December 2007) states quite clearly that of all the buildings, buildings C and H have severe structural problems. The rest are in OK shape, the photos from the Beardsley Report support this, as evidence of historic floating staircases and the like are still standing and visibly stable.
– restoration was estimated at $19 million for all 11 buildings. $19 million is a lot of money, but it is not hundreds of millions or billions as alleged at the press conference. That figure also assumes FULL restoration and of all 11 buildings, including the 2 with structural failure.
– the supermarket is not going to be built “green”. The complex will include a 356 car surface parking lot. How is that “green”? Let’s not talk about the century-old tree cover that will be lost because of this.
– it is against Federal Law to require that employees come from a certain Zip Code, to say nothing of assuring that all the jobs created will come from the nearby public housing projects.
– Asking the Federal Government to ignore national environmental laws is a foolish thing to do, so let’s ascribe that to mere rhetoric and playing to the crowd. Still, it is inappropriate for lawyers and elected officials to do.
– the Federal Government passed a law in 1988 to sell the propery to New York City, and then dropped the ball with regard to maintenance. The City sat on its hands for the last 20 years to take control of the property. There is plenty of blame to go around for the current condition of the buildings. Frankly, no one should be pointing fingers or throwing stones.