Unwelcome: Jane’s Carousel?

By on February 22, 2010 11:14 pm in DUMBO

Photo by Kaitlin Foley

Photo by Kaitlin Foley

“Jane’s Carousel”, the 1920s vintage merry-go-round restored under the auspices of Jane Walentas, wife of developer David Walentas, and now housed in a building on Water Street in DUMBO, is slated to be moved across the street and into what is now Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, itself to be incorporated into Brooklyn Bridge Park, sometime within the next year. The carousel is to be covered by an enclosure designed by Jean Nouvel, the cost of which will be paid by Walentas. However, not everyone is happy with this arrangement, as this story on the New York Post’s Brooklyn Blog reports:

A state plan to relocate an exquisitely restored 1920s carousel to popular waterfront parkland in DUMBO is infuriating local civic groups, who say it’s a bad fit that isn’t worth losing trees and lawn space over.
…
Doreen Gallo, executive director of the DUMBO Neighborhood Association said “We all love the carousel; we just think it belongs in another part of Brooklyn Bridge Park.”

Other groups named as opposing the siting of the carousel are the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund, the Fulton Ferry Landing Association, and the Vinegar Hill Association.

Brownstoner and Curbed also have posts about this controversy.

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  • anon

    “Free” carousel now, Walentas take-over of Empire Stores later.

    Talk about privatization of public space…

  • anon1

    Its gonna come better: Vibrations from building Dock Street will let the Empire Stores collaps. Walentas will then be chosen to build Luxury condo’s in its place.

  • ABC

    I know I’m the only one who thinks that Walentas has been one of the city’s better developers, but I do.

  • my2cents

    ABC, all it takes is one terrible project to sully the name of a developer. But yes, in some ways Walentas was very principled. Ratner was also considered a “good” developer and has some really impressive projects in his portfolio, especially in Asia. But then comes Atlantic Yards and he is pretty much persona non grata – for good reason. But I think every “good developer” gets to a point where they convince themselves of their goodness even when they are doing something bad. Power and Money go to their head and they lose track of reality a bit. In my opinion, that is the common thread between Dock Street and Atlantic Yards. But on this carousel business, I really don’t think we are being taken for a ride…Why can’t we accept a nice gesture from the private sector to improve a public amenity?

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