As part of its deal for building a canal-side supermarket, Whole Foods agreed to repair the landmarked Coignet Building, the crumbling historic structure that sits on the edge of the Gowanus Whole Foods site. Now that the grocery store is finally up and runningit opened this morningit seems that the retailer would want to fix the decrepit-looking structure sitting beside its new store. But the building is looking worse than ever, and it's unclear when Whole Foods plans to start fixing it. A new crack was discovered in the building, and preservationists are pointing fingers at the megastore, which comes awfully close to the Coignet Building. Neighborhood resident Martin Bisi actually measured the distance between the two buildings, and it's a mere five feet.
Seemingly unrelated to the crack, parts of building's stone staircase and facade fell off just a day before the Whole Foods opened. Gowanus Your Face Off stopped by to take photos, and they noticed that the fenced-in property has also become a dumping ground for trash and unwanted items. Most of the windows have been boarded up, but several are completely open to the elements. The Department of Buildings is investigating the crack and other reports of damage.
Currently, the building is on the market for $3 million.
· Coignet Building in Bad Shape ['Stoner]
· Damage to the Coignet Building? [GYFO]
· Whole Foods Gowanus coverage [Curbed
· Coignet Building coverage [Curbed]
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