Observer » Brooklyn Army Terminal

Oh Yes! Free Ferry Service From Wall Street to Brooklyn Army Terminal for OHNY

Kit Dillon — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:53:17 -0400

Take the ferry to the army... terminal. (NY Waterway)

For an event that’s already starting to feel like an elaborate first date, Open House New York has now gotten mom and dad to agree to let it use the car for the night. The annual architecture touring bonanza has secured free ferry rides at the last minute from New York Waterway that will provide service between Pier 11 on Wall Street and the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park. The terminal, typically dedicated to industrial work, will be open all weekend for guests to peruse.

The Terminal, which we’ve raved about already, is sure to be a highlight of this weekend's events. A cavernous 4.1-million-square-foot military supply depot designed by Cass Gilbert in World War I, it is one of the most imposing structures in the city, especially its massive central atrium. The scale of it is dizzying. It survives today as a hub, currently managed by the city's Economic Development Corporation, for light industrial business and is home to nearly 90 firms.

But throw in a free 22-minute ferry ride with direct access to the site? You had us at hello, OHNY. You had us at hello.

The ferry service, departing from slip C at Pier 11, starts at 11 a.m. and ends with the last Brooklyn Army Terminal bound ferry departing at 4:30. A limited number of bicycles are allowed on board.

Party Like a Longshoreman

Matt Chaban — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:08:54 -0400

The Brooklyn Army Terminal is one of the biggest buildings in the city, spanning some 2.2 million square feet—almost as much space as 1 World Trade Center or the Empire State Building. And yet almost no one knows about this hulking monolith because it is tucked in by the bay in Sunset Park, part of the area's once-thriving industrial waterfront. The Bloomberg administration has done much to try and revive the warehouses here—just this morning The Journal reported on three new businesses bringing in 60 jobs. But for those looking to explore this forgotten gem without having to don coveralls and gloves, grab instead your tuxe and head to this weekend's Beaux Arts Ball.

Hosted each year by the Architectural League, one of the city's oldest building appreciation and preservation groups, the ball is a major fundraiser that bounces from one unusual landmark to another each fall. Last year, it took place at the National Arts Club in Washington Heights, the year before that it was the American Can Factory in Gowanus—clearly, these guys have a thing for industrial architecture. Designed by Cass Gilbert, of Woolworth Building fame, the terminal was once of throbbing hive of activity, according to League-affiliated blog Urban Omnibus:

56,000 military and civilian personnel were employed at the BAT during WWII, and an additional three million troops and 37 million tons of supplies traveled through. The activity often spilled into the neighborhood’s streets and sidewalks. “My father used to say that, once workers began to go home in the evening, you couldn’t come near this area until 10pm,” [Carmine Giordano, the BAT Facilities Director for the past 23 years] recalled from his childhood. “It took hours for the cars and the people walking to pass through.”

Tickets are available online, and while the League warns of a sell0ut, something tells us there will be plenty of room.

mchaban [at] observer.com | @MC_NYC

City Wants ‘Excursion’ Boats at Brooklyn Pier

Eliot Brown — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:14:47 -0400

Make way for booze cruises. The city’s Economic Development Corporation is searching for a company to set up shop for “excursion services” leaving from the Brooklyn Army Terminal in South Brooklyn.

The EDC yesterday issued the request for proposals, which is not specific in what exactly is envisioned there other than saying that the EDC is looking for a company “to operate excursions, educational boat services, and/or other waterborne vessels intended for public use.”

The boats would dock at Pier 4 at the terminal, which is also home to a NY Water Taxi commuter stop. The Pier is west of Borough Park in Brooklyn.

We’re still waiting to hear back from the EDC with any elaboration on the RFP.