Wednesday, April 23, 2025

A look inside the former Fireboat House in East River Park as it faces an uncertain future

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Sitting barren along a tree-less stretch of under-renovation East River Park below the Williamsburg Bridge, the former Fireboat House — most recently home to the Lower East Side Ecology Center — now stands silent and abandoned. 

Built in 1941 for Marine Company 66, the two-story Moderne-style building replaced an earlier fireboat station that had operated off Grand Street since the 19th century.

Inside, it sits in quiet disarray — scattered papers, peeling paint and the faint echo of a place once full of purpose.
It will be the last National Register-eligible structure left in East River Park following the demolition of the Track House and Tennis Center as part of the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project. 

According to an ESCR spokesperson, the Fireboat House is still undergoing a federal review known as the Section 106 process, which is required to ensure that historic buildings or sites are not negatively impacted by construction projects. 

Currently, city agencies — including the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Design and Construction, and the Parks Department — are reviewing feedback received from groups involved in the process. Once those responses are finalized, they'll be shared with everyone involved, the spokesperson said via email. (The LES Ecology Center will be housed further south in East River Park.)

Although its future use remains uncertain, there is hope that this resilient structure might be spared.
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8 comments:

  1. GebApril 23, 2025 at 7:57 AM

    Who is Mike DeNapoli?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MTA614April 23, 2025 at 9:23 AM

      More accurately, given this is real estate related, it's likely to be the same Mike DiNapoli who is a GM at CBRE

      Delete
    2. #DONTEVERCALLMEBROApril 23, 2025 at 10:52 AM

      Yep CBRE. A solid REBNY background including Tishman Speyer.

      Oy.

      Delete
  2. DaveyApril 23, 2025 at 8:31 AM

    It was reported that the pilings were rotten underneath.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. noble neolaniApril 23, 2025 at 10:26 AM

      as is the city government leaders which demolished this park in the first place. Hoping for sometime around 2040ish

      Delete
    2. #DONTEVERCALLMEBROApril 23, 2025 at 10:43 AM

      "It was reported that the pilings were rotten underneath."

      Here is a Village Sun link from 2/8/2024:

      "To ensure the structural stability of the Fireboat House, the first floor should be redesigned to manage flooding and the supporting piles, deck and bulkhead should be rehabilitated, as the city has indicated for years that it intended to do. The building and our park steward, the Lower East Side Ecology Center, are worth investment."

      https://thevillagesun.com/opinion-save-the-east-river-park-fireboat-house-a-community-anchor-worth-investment

      Delete
  3. MTA614April 23, 2025 at 9:20 AM

    Derelict, but charming. This should be converted into a small museum/information center for the EV and LES, showcasing the building's history as well as the neighborhood's. Team up with a few merch dealers for neighborhood-exclusive toys and curios to generate some cash and social media buzz and it would be a great addition while holding onto the building's legacy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. XTCApril 23, 2025 at 12:34 PM

    Would have like to have seen the original 19th structure. This one is nothing look at inside or out.

    ReplyDelete

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