Proposed DUMBO Historic District. Map: LPC.

Local elected officials behind push for designation. On December 18, 2007, Landmarks voted to designate a portion of the DUMBO area as an historic district. DUMBO, an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, served as a center for American manufacturing beginning in the 19th century. The architecture of its industrial buildings range in materials from brick and timber to reinforced concrete. In the 1970s, young artists began moving to the area and converting the buildings into lofts and studios.

At the October 30th public hearing, several elected officials, including City Council Member David Yassky, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and representatives for Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and State Senator Martin Connor, joined local residents and supported designation. 4 CityLand 157 (Nov. 15, 2007). (read more…)

Residents, preservationists, and elected officials testify for designation. On October 30, 2007, Landmarks held a public hearing on a proposed historic district in the area known as Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, or DUMBO. The area is already on the National and State Registries of Historic Places, and featured in the National Trust’s list of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” The district would include a unique mix of buildings, including some of the country’s oldest large-scale reinforced-concrete factories, and be roughly bounded by John, Main, Bridge, and York Streets. 4 CityLand 107 (Aug. 15, 2007).

At the hearing, Council Member David Yassky testified in support of designation, while urging Landmarks to approve affected property owners’ requests to convert their spaces for retail use. Council Member Yassky also noted that the area is subject to a proposed rezoning, and asked Landmarks to work closely with the Planning Commission so that the designation and rezoning occur concurrently. A representative from U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez supported designation as well, claiming that it would spur economic benefits for the area from film and other creative industries. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz also testified, praising Landmarks for its timely response to the community’s concerns. (read more…)

Rapidly gentrifying neighborhood starts process towards landmark status. On July 24, 2007, Landmarks calendared a 15-block area on Brooklyn’s waterfront adjacent to the Manhattan Bridge approach as a potential historic district. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, DUMBO developed as a primarily industrial area at a time when Brooklyn was counted among the country’s largest manufacturing centers. DUMBO’s East River location attracted a wide variety of industries, including coffee, paper and paint. Now no longer an industrial hub, developers have converted many of the former factory buildings into apartments and condominiums.

The district’s architectural significance lies in its array of American industrial design throughout several decades. Early buildings in the district feature brick facades and wooden beams, while later buildings possess terra cotta ornament, steel framing, and, eventually, reinforced concrete. The area is also characterized by the arches supporting the Manhattan Bridge approach, and the presence of original street paving, sidewalks, and railroad tracks. Landmarks’ research department addressed the district’s historical significance, calling it “a reminder of Brooklyn’s and New York City’s industrial heyday.” (read more…)