Admiral’s Row Personal Injury Attorney

Before its demolition in 2016, Admiral’s Row held historic homes built between 1864 and 1901 as residences for officers of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Navy personnel lived in some of these Second Empire-style homes until the mid-1970s. The roughly six-acre site is the future home of a Wegmans grocery store and parking for this area of Kings County.

Key Features of the Area

About 10 stately mansions comprised the gated community known as Admiral’s Row at Flushing Avenue and Navy Street. Also called Officer’s Row, this Northwestern Brooklyn community for high-ranking naval officers and their families included tennis courts, vegetable gardens, a timber shed and a stable that in the winter months converted into an ice skating rink.

After the navy yard was decommissioned in 1966, some personnel still lived at the homes through the 1970s. But then the structures fell into disrepair and vandalism.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation acquired the property from the National Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the 2010s to convert it into an industrial park. By the time developer Steiner NYC and Dattner Architects unveiled plans for the space in 2017, all but one of the historic homes had been demolished.

The new plans include offices, green space on the roof, a parking garage, and a Wegmans grocery store, the first of the supermarket chain’s locations in New York City.

Brief History of  Admiral’s Row

1864 to 1901: Homes along the southwestern edge of the Brooklyn Navy Yard are built for naval personnel.

1966: The Brooklyn Navy Yard is decommissioned.

1970s: Some naval personnel continue to live at Admiral’s Row.

1980s to 2000s: The former mansions fall into disrepair and overgrowth. Squatters occupy the once-stately homes, and vandals cover the outsides with graffiti.

Late 2000s: The National Guard hosts a historic review of the site. Brooklyn’s entire industrial waterfront is placed at the top of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual list of the most endangered places in America.

2010: Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration proposes revitalizing Admiral’s Row. But those plans don’t solidify after one developer is accused of bribery and another cannot pay insurance after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

2012: The site is demilitarized and transferred to the nonprofit Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation.

2016: Demolition begins, following a new design plan incorporating some green space, parking, light industrial space, offices and a supermarket.

Interesting Facts About Admiral’s Row

• Admiral Matthew C. Perry, who commanded U.S. Navy ships in wars including the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, lived on Admiral’s Row while Commodore of the navy yard. Perry is credited with overseeing construction of the Navy’s second steam frigate, organizing America’s first corps of naval engineers and pursuing a trade treaty with Japan in the 1850s.
• As late as 2015, many of the buildings on Admiral’s Row retained their original details, including decorative woodwork, fireplaces, cabinets, doors and light fixtures. One three-story residence had two attached sunrooms and wrought-iron banisters.
• The new Wegmans grocery store at the site will be 74,000 square feet and include a food court. Wegmans has 92 stores across the East Coast, including New York State, but no other locations in New York City.

Directions to Belluck & Fox from Admiral’s Row

Belluck & Fox’s New York law office is located in Midtown at 546 Fifth Ave., 5th Floor, New York NY 10036. From Flushing Avenue and Navy Street, head west on Nassau Street to connect with the Manhattan Bridge. In Manhattan, exit at Allen Street. Turn right onto East Houston Street, then take the FDR Drive north to East 47th Street. Turn left onto Fifth Avenue.

Contact Our New York Injury Law Firm Today

At Belluck & Fox, LLP, our New York personal injury lawyer have been strongly fighting for the rights of individuals and families across New York City for more than two decades. Have you been injured in these NYC landmarks? Contact us today to know more.