New York Dock Company

160 Imlay street, Fall 2003

160 Imlay street, Fall 2004

Red Hook's 160 Imlay street is the potential future site for 150 units of luxury condos adjacent to the Container Port of Brooklyn. As reported in the NY Post, a judge halted the development after there were concerns by the local maritime industry about a rush to the residential.

From my living room, I can see this building, a structure that initially attracted me to the neighborhood. As you come down Van Brunt Street, which runs one block East parallel to Imlay, the six story monolith sets the tone for the rest of the hook - old and crumbling, beautiful and mighty.

A couple years ago, I stopped inside to try to get access to the roof. It was a warehouse for a publishing company then, getting ready to be sold to a big time Brooklyn developer. I asked a random worker if it would continue to be used for warehousing. He laughed and said doubtful. He said that only a fool would buy this to store stuff, this baby was going to be flipped.

I woke one morning when they started to jackhammer out the walls to reveal the skeleton of structural columns inside. How many memories flew to sea as the plaster flaked to the asphalt below?

I wonder if the potential new tenants will be able to handle their port neighbors. Those skyscraper cranes that move the containers can go all night, they are not quiet and they won't stop for a million dollar penthouse.

Curbed and Brownstoner on 160 Imlay

City Limits on zone variance battle

Posted by alexis at November 10, 2004 10:56 PM