If preservationists had their way, Gotham wouldn’t be a city, but a museum. Or maybe one huge park.
Consider the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s recent designation of an under-used section of the Brooklyn waterfront as one of “America’s 11 most endangered places.”
The trust basically wants to suspend the land in amber: No developers allowed.
Hello – this is New York.
Folks who want wide open space can move to Wyoming.
New York has people, lots of ’em, and they need a city that is constantly evolving – living and breathing; creating good jobs, the opportunities that go with them and a sound tax base to support good schools and a range of other municipal services.
It makes no sense to stop a neighborhood’s natural life cycle on behalf of marginally significant old buildings or fallow – and largely polluted – land.
At issue is industrial property on the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront, where preservationists seek to freeze as much of a 180-block swath of land as they can.
Never mind that, in rezoning the area for some 7,000 new apartments, the city identified 18 historic buildings and an entire historic district that it believes deserve to be saved.
The trust seems to think some 264 structures are worth preserving.
Forever.
Now imagine what this virtually abandoned and incredibly situated island – just a few football fields from Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn waterfront, and even closer to the Statue of Liberty – could be turned into if, say, it was sold off to the highest bidder, restriction-free . . .
Yes, green space and history are important. Memories guide current-day decisions. Both enhance cultural life.
But, c’mon: Would it have made sense 20 years ago to have forgone redevelopment on, say, 42nd Street and instead preserve its strip joints, porn palaces and seedy bars just because they then were a part of the city’s “rich” history?
Of course not. (Which didn’t stop some from trying . . .)
The fact is, too much of what the preservationists seek to save isn’t worth it.
The city’s got more important needs.
Like: Commerce. Housing. Jobs.
If preservationists fear the loss of some “historic” relic, here’s an idea: Let them take a picture of it.
They can save that for as long as they like.