Sand, Stone, Cement
By Matt Sollars
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One obstacle to the city’s plan to redevelop Public Place is the Ferrara Bros. concrete batching plant, which sits on the piece of the site adjacent to the canal. Ferrara Brothers, a family-owned ready-mix concrete business founded in 1969, bought the land in 1973. However, in 1974, the city condemned the Ferrara parcel and bought it through eminent domain. Now, with redevelopment plans moving forward, Ferrara Bros. wants the city to help relocate their business to another waterfront location in the Gowanus area, near the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.
Graph of Concrete Demand in New York City. Courtesy of Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center
The tunnel provides quick access to Lower Manhattan, specifically the World Trade Center, where Ferrara been pouring concrete for the “bathtub.” Ferrara Bros. is also an important supplier for many of the construction projects slated for the next few years below Canal street. Because they have only 90 minutes to pour concrete, the Ferrara Bros. would have a very difficult time serving its clients in Lower Manhattan without a Gowanus area location.
