City Plans To Save Gowanus Station Plaque 'At Minimum,' Rep Says

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — The city's Department of Environmental Preservation says it plans to "at a minimum" save the iconic plaque outside of the Gowanus Station building during construction of a sewage overflow tank at the site, a department representative said Monday night.

Neighborhood residents who don't want to see the building on Butler and Nevins streets destroyed showed up to a public hearing at Brooklyn Borough Hall about the city's plans to use eminent domain to takeover the land at the site as part of the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal.

"At a minimum, we had always planned to save, salvage, the pediment plaque that’s on top of the Gowanus Station building and somehow rework that into the design of the new facility," Kevin Clarke, a portfolio manager with the department, said. "That is still the current baseline. That’s the minimum that we intend to do."

The building is not landmarked, but the state's Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation has sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, which is overseeing cleanup efforts, asking to preserve the structure while designing the tanks.

SEE ALSO: Gowanus Station Building Could Be Torn Down For Canal Work

Residents who showed up to the meeting wanted a stronger commitment from DEP that the building would be preserved in full.

"I love the Gowanus Station. It makes me smile to walk by it," said Peter Reich. "It’s a beautiful building, and anything that can be done to save all of it — I’m not even going to go for part of it because I love all of it."

It's unlikely, though, that the entire structure could be saved, according to DEP.

"Due to the structural conditions of this building and the large scale excavation required to build the tank, it is unlikely that it can be retained in its entirety," Mario Bruno, the assistant commissioner for intergovernmental affairs at the department, said. "We continue to assess this possibility."

DEP plans to build two of these tanks on the canal to collect sewage runoff during heavy rain and prevent the canal from overflowing during heavy rain.

A 4 million-gallon tank will sit where the canal bends, near Smith and Ninth Street. Another, 8 million-gallon tank will be placed at the head of the canal.

The city wants to put the tank under a parcel of land that runs between that canal and Nevins Street, from Butler to Degraw streets. On top, the area would be partially accessible to the public.

"We’ll be able to provide open space for passive recreation above the tanks along with waterfront access to the canal," Bruno said.

It plans to use eminent domain to take over the site.

That proposal is currently through the city's lengthy land-use review process. Community Board 6 approved the plan but asked that the city's Department of Environmental Protection consider an alternative design that would save the structure.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will make his recommendation, too, before the plan goes before the city council and mayor's office.

"I think there’s a moral issue here. DEP doesn’t own this building. They’re going to take it by eminent domain. Is that the way to go? Is that the way citizens and civilizations should be treated?" said Lynda Mariano, a long-time Gowanus resident.

"There are other properties for sale in the area. A tank could be built in another location without taking their livelihood and ruining their families."

Anyone who wants to submit feedback to Adams' office before he makes his recommendation can do so by emailing AskEric@BrooklynBP.nyc.gov.

Lead image courtesy Brad Vogel