What’s Happening to Gowanus?

For over a century, the Gowanus Canal was a dumping grounds for hundreds of tons of industrial and human waste, spilling into streets with each heavy rainstorm. Today, luxury buildings are rising at a fever pitch, next to modest rowhouses and NYCHA housing. New cafes, bars and restaurants are popping up. Yet, the neighborhood wrestles with issues of flood mitigation, urban infrastructure, environmental health.

We’ll walk around the Canal’s north section, and discuss the federal Superfund cleanup–now entering its 5th year. We’ll see sublime landmarks of 19th C industrial architecture hiding in plain sight: American Can Factory, BRT Powerhouse, Coignet Stone building, Carroll Street Bridge. We’ll show historical photos and catch glimpses of future esplanades. Ready or not, this area stands on the brink of radical, permanent change.