Will Duffield Street Houses "Be Railroaded"?

Last week we noted that the city is moving toward seizing the buildings on Duffield Street that supporters say were part of the Underground Railroad in Brooklyn. The land would be used to build an underground parking garage and street level open space. Before moving ahead, the Bloomberg Administration set aside $2 million for some type of project that would "commemorate" abolitionist activity in Brooklyn in the 1800s and created a panel to look into how to do that. (Our top bet is an abolitionist memorial in the new park that somehow also duly notes the role the Duffield Street houses demolished by the city played. Just a guess.) In any case, today's amNY includes a look at the controversy. Here's an excerpt:

The Duffield Houses are targeted for demolition as part of $9 billion worth of development that promises to include new public spaces akin to Bryant Park, mixed use residential/commercial high rises like the Time Warner Center and an expansion of local colleges.

The city's report states that although "Downtown Brooklyn played a vital role in the abolitionist and Underground Railroad," the research could not "conclusively document" that 233 Duffield and six other nearby houses were stops on the way to freedom.

Although some peer reviewers disputed the findings of the report, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development this month recommended that the city exercise the power of eminent domain to take the Duffield Street houses and proceed with plans to demolish them.

The land they occupy would become part of the new Willoughby Square Park, a 1.15-acre green space that would be placed atop a new underground parking lot with space for 700 cars.

The demolition crews won't be coming any time soon, though. One lawsuit is already pending in state court and a suit challenging the use of eminent domain is also expected to be filed. You can check out the Duffield Street Underground blog's take on the article by clicking here.