Historic Red Hook Warehouse Fire Set Intentionally, Report Says

RED HOOK, BROOKLYN — A fire that tore through a century-old Red Hook warehouse, which an elected official called "highly suspicious," was intentionally set, Crain's New York reported.

The FDNY deemed last week that the two-alarm fire at the S.W. Bowne Grain Storehouse was intentional, but did not know who set the blaze yet, according to Crain's.

The fire at the 595-611 Smith St. building came weeks after locals started a push to landmark the the structure as part of a larger effort to save historic buildings around Gowanus and Red Hook before a proposed rezoning.

Last month, preservationists feared owners the Chetrit Group wanted to tear the warehouse down to build apartments after they spotted workers with axes on the roof.

A week later, a fire erupted on the top two floors of the warehouse late night on June 14 and took nearly 100 firefighters more than an hour to put out the blaze, the FDNY said. The building was vacant at the time and no one was injured.

Days later, the Department of Buildings issued a stop work order on the property after inspectors found demolition work being done without a permit, city records show.

Councilman Carlos Menchaca called the blaze "highly suspicious" and asked city agencies to investigate the building.

"I also place the owners of this property on notice: I will not allow demolition by neglect or fire to prompt zoning changes that allow residential or other non-manufacturing uses at this site in Red Hook's Industrial Business Zone," Menchaca said.

The S.W. Bowne Grain Storehouse was built 1886 when Red Hook was a global shipping hub, Curbed New York reported. It remained a warehouse until it was abandoned in the 1960s.

CF Smith LLC and Red Hook Developers Holding LLC, both registered in Delaware, bought the spot for $14.5 million in 2007 with several other properties nearby, city records show.

Jacob Chetrit, founder of the Chetrit Group, was listed as the owner of Red Hook Developers Holding in DOB records and his brother as the owner of the S.W. Bowne Grain Storehouse.

The Chetrit Group previously demolished three buildings on the Smith Street lot, but only filed permits for one and it wasn't approved by the city, Brownstoner reported.

Despite the blaze damaging the buildings, locals continued their push to get the city to landmark it and started a petition this month for it.

Image: FDNY/Twitter