Real Estate Brooklyn Boro

Rehabilitation of Brooklyn Navy Yard rowhouse recognized by State Parks

December 23, 2021 Raanan Geberer
The restored, circa 1872 Building B at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, now occupied by Steiner Studios. Photo courtesy of State Parks
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The restoration of the 19th century Building B at the Brooklyn Navy Yard is one of nine projects that were recognized on Thursday by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse.

The Building B project brought new life to the once-threatened 1872 row house, the last remaining building in Admiral’s Row, which now houses the offices of Steiner Studios. 

Steiner is the well-known film and TV production hub whose soundstage facility, also in the Navy Yard, is the largest such production facility in the U.S. outside Hollywood.

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The Building B row house is the only surviving building of Admiral’s Row, a row of 10 homes that were once used by naval officers stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. After the U.S. Navy abandoned the facility, the houses deteriorated to the point of collapse. Most were demolished in 2016. A huge Wegmans supermarket that opened on the site in 2019 was well received by the community and has provided many jobs.

According to the website of Evergreene Architectural Arts, one of the consultants on the renovation, Building B was the largest of the Admiral’s Row homes. It originally had 10 bedrooms and six bathrooms. “In order to allow access,” the website says, “the entire building had to be extensively reinforced, including the walls and ceilings of the structure.”

One of the interior spaces at the restored Building B at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Notice the fireplace and ceiling details. Photo courtesy of State Parks

“The 2021 New York State Historic Preservation Awards are an opportunity to highlight projects and people who contribute to preserving the heritage of the state for the benefit of our current residents, visitors, and for future generations,” State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. 

“The diversity of the projects being recognized demonstrates that preservation begins with passionate local individuals expanding their advocacy into productive partnerships. We are proud to be one of those partners and congratulate all of the individuals and groups for their extraordinary efforts to preserve these historic places,” he added.

Among the other projects recognized by State Parks are:

  • Point O’Woods, Fire Island, Suffolk County. The oldest community on Fire Island, Point O’Woods was founded in 1898 with a mission to form a summer community with educational and entertainment opportunities in a “healthful environment.” 
  • Clinton Avenue Row Houses, City of Albany, Albany County. The project involved transformative work on 70 row houses in the Arbor Hill neighborhood of Albany. Acquired in foreclosure, the buildings were renovated using Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits to include 210 affordable housing units and six commercial spaces.
  • Roe-Jan Brewing Co., Hillsdale, Columbia County. The project involved the adaptive reuse of the circa 1851 Buckley Store Building for use as a craft brewery and restaurant.
  • Kreiner Malt House and Grain Elevator, City of Buffalo, Erie County. This project transformed a historic grain elevator into offices, apartments, and a brewery. 
  • Northland Corridor Redevelopment/Niagara Machine and Tool Works, City of Buffalo, Erie County. This project involved the revitalization of multiple vacant properties in a large manufacturing district on Buffalo’s east side. The cornerstone of this redevelopment project is the Northland Workforce Training Center in the former Niagara Machine and Tool Works Factory.

 New York’s Division for Historic Preservation, part of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, helps communities identify, evaluate, preserve and revitalize their historic, archeological, and cultural resources.


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