Historic homes in the Brooklyn Navy Yard have blighted the neighborhood for years. Many residents are backing a plan to replace the deteriorating homes with a market, but preservationists are hesitant.
"The city is asking that the National Guard, which owns the property, give the land to the city so that the corporation can demolish the houses and replace them with a supermarket of roughly 60,000 square feet and a large industrial building. Residents of Farragut and two other public housing projects nearby would be given preference in hiring."
"Although preservation groups, including the Landmarks Conservancy and the Historic Districts Council, have publicly attacked that proposal, it has met a mostly warm reception among Farragut residents, who regard the vacant town houses as neglected eyesores."
"The National Guard has embarked on a months-long review to determine whether it must require any potential buyer to preserve the houses. A report commissioned by the agency and released last month put the cost of preservation at roughly $20 million, but representatives of the development corporation say that the figure underestimates the costs and that the corporation will walk away from any deal that would include preserving the buildings."
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