Beneath layers of graffiti and grime stands the former Hook and Ladder Company No. 6 firehouse, a Greenpoint landmark with roots dating back to the 1850s. Once a vital part of the neighborhood\u2019s civic life, the historic building now sits vacant and at the center of a growing debate.<\/p>\n
Preservation advocates say the firehouse\u2019s designation within the Greenpoint Historic District is intentional. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was designated for a reason,\u201d said Frampton Tolbert, executive director of the Historic Districts Council. \u201cEven though it\u2019s no longer serving as a firehouse, people still see it as part of the civic history of the neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
But that history may soon face change. The property is now being considered for redevelopment, a prospect that has some residents worried construction could compromise the building\u2019s historic integrity. <\/p>\n
Neighbor Joseph Carranza says the possibility hits close to home. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt kind of makes me sad,\u201d he said. \u201cTo live across the street from an old fire station is a really cool thing. It was here before me, and I just hope that whatever it becomes, it still reflects the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not everyone agrees. Other residents view the structure as a long-neglected eyesore. \u201cIt\u2019s just an abandoned, derelict building,\u201d said Mikhail Bortnik. \u201cI don\u2019t know what history there is in something that\u2019s been abandoned for over two decades.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the site is considered prime for development, preservation officials emphasize that any changes must first be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. <\/p>\n
Tolbert says that process often leads to better outcomes. <\/p>\n
\u201cMaking sure these reflect neighboring buildings and add to the streetscape is key,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of times, what we get is better design.\u201d<\/p>\n
No official plans have currently been announced. Until then, the former firehouse remains standing – a weathered but enduring piece of Greenpoint\u2019s history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Beneath layers of graffiti and grime stands the former Hook and Ladder Company No. 6 firehouse, a Greenpoint…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":128308,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,5200,55382,2422,9,24,63],"class_list":{"0":"post-128307","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn","8":"tag-brooklyn","9":"tag-brooklyn-headlines","10":"tag-brooklyn-news","11":"tag-debate","12":"tag-firehouse","13":"tag-greenpoint","14":"tag-new-york","15":"tag-new-york-city","16":"tag-nyc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}