As the area surrounding the Gowanus Canal becomes more and more built up (think Whole Foods, Lightstone Group's canal-adjacent mega-project), what will become of the neighborhood's defunct Brooklyn Rapid Transit Powerhouse? More commonly known these days as the Gowanus Bat Cave for reasons self-explicit, the former coal house on Third Street next to the canal was purchased by millionaire philanthropist Joshua Rechnitzyes, the same guy that wanted to build a $50 million velodrome in Brooklyn Bridge Parkin 2012. Although Rechnitz purportedly has plans to turn the facility that has, in its past years, served as a paper mill, squatter haven, and rave destination into an arts and education facility, any momentum towards that end is slow at best, leaving it fair game for interested parties to reimagine. Case in point, French architect Lucile Keller, who has imaginatively, if a bit naively, fashioned the building into an opera house. Hear her plan out.
Word is that the state has put out a remediation plan for the site ahead of any future conversion. Its progress is unknown.
· Lucile Keller [official]
· Imagining a New Artsy Life For Decrepit Gowanus Bat Cave [Curbed]
· All Bat Cave coverage [Curbed]