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April 5, 2010
New Rochelle takes steps to preserve armory artwork
LoHud.com
by Hannan Adely
Bruce Ratner, conservator.
The large paintings that hang in the city's armory show vivid scenes of naval military history, ranging from a life-size portrait of a tugboat to ships in training after the first world war.
The paintings, though, are losing their life as the building around them continues to deteriorate and drip.
Now, the city is taking steps to protect the artworks. With support from veterans and the city's Municipal Art Commission, city officials approved a $19,000 contract to remove and store the artworks for the next year.
...The $19,000 tab to store the four paintings will be paid by developer Forest City Enterprises. The company agreed to pay for future years, too, as long as it continues to have an agreement with the city to develop the land, said City Manager Charles Strome.
Forest City had initially planned to demolish the armory as part of its $450 million Echo Bay project and put up a community center in its place. The company is revising its plans because of the downturn in the economy, so the fate of the armory is unclear.
NoLandGrab: Forest City's act of generosity likely means that it expects to be getting back many times the amount of its "gift" in additional subsidies.
Posted by eric at April 5, 2010 11:03 AM