The sad takedown of Gowanus's erstwhile Kentile Floors sign has been mourned over (and over) again, but now it's time to look ahead. The Gowanus Alliance, a local business organization that has kept the sign in storage since its removal from atop an old warehouse, is planning to resurrect one of New York's most iconic signs, and the first possible location has emerged: the derelict, disused, totally abandoned Under the Tracks playground.
The playground, which hasn't been functional since at least 2002 and features "a few handball courts in various stages of disrepair," is under the F and G tracks between Second and Third avenues, as well as 9th and 10th streets. The asphalt jungle is no longer even listed on the Parks Department website; a Google search reveals little but the address.
As per Brooklyn Paper, which first reported the news, "The playground has been closed since before work began on the Culver Viaduct, because the crumbling track support structure was sending chunks of concrete falling onto the play equipment."
The Alliance must jump through several hoopsthink restoration, fundraising, and permits or permissionsbefore the sign can once again rise. In the meantime, will a cardboard model do? It's pretty darn cute.
· Kentile in exile: New spot pitched for iconic Gowanus sign [Brooklyn Paper]
· Mapping 18 Iconic Signs That Define the NYC Skyline [Curbed]
· All Kentile Floors sign coverage [Curbed]
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