A Brooklyn federal judge has ruled that the National Park Service illegally removed two historic 19th century buildings from US parkland protection to boost the city’s plans for private developers to take over the sites as part of the Brooklyn Bridge Park project.
The decision, issued Friday, is a big blow to the city’s plan to turn over the roofless Tobacco Warehouse to a DUMBO arts group, St. Ann’s Warehouse, for a $15 million project to bring community events and live theater to the park.
The preliminary injunction also protects the Civil War-era Empire Stores site within the park from the city’s development plans.
Part of the new city park occupies the site of a former federally run park.
The decision was in response to a lawsuit filed by groups, including the Brooklyn Heights Association, claiming the park service bowed to pressure from the Bloomberg administration by illegally demapping both buildings from federally protected parkland.
The groups have also accused the city of lacking transparency in the bidding process to select St. Ann’s.
A city lawyer last night said the city is “disappointed” with the ruling but looks “forward to presenting our full case” in court and “remains committed to moving the Tobacco Warehouse project forward.”