M.A.S. Responds (to Ikea’s Response)

“The Municipal Art Society did indeed develop two alternative site plans for the Ikea project that would meet their publicized program needs while preserving the rich history of the site. And, it is true that Ikea rejected both of these alternatives, in one case for financial and political reasons and the other for newly disclosed operational reasons. Nevertheless, these two alternative plans demonstrate another fact we’ve long known: talented design professionals can develop creative solutions to challenging problems when there is a will to do it. But, so far Ikea has been unwilling to even try.

We continue to hope that Ikea will recognize that they can build their store and their parking lot, while saving Civil War-era buildings and a functional ship repair dry dock that dates to the Lincoln Administration. They can also save high-skill, high-wage jobs on the working waterfront by allowing the shipyard to remain open. When it comes to Brooklyn’s historic past and its promising future, Ikea can be a hero in this matter and we hope they will be.

PS: I’d like to gently point out to the original writer that it’s Erie Basin and Erie Canal, not Eerie.

Kent Barwick, President, Municipal Art Society”