A few days ago, I was heading down West Ferry, on my way to Grant Street, when I came across this building at the corner of Ferry and Hoyt Street. I was immediately struck by the outward appearance of the building – at some point in time, someone had done a hack job repair to the facade, by covering (or replacing) the brickwork with some sort of stucco. The result is pretty lame, and in this case is indicative of the direction that West Ferry has been going for years.
In the “before” photo, it’s easy to see that the brickwork was in need of repointing. Obviously, instead of investing in the building, the owner decided to go the easiest and cheapest route when repairing. Now, some people might say that at least he or she saved the building from being demolished, but at the same time, it’s the building owner’s responsibility to make incremental improvements so that an “emergency repair” of this nature is not called for.
And if the owner is not able to make the necessary improvements, then maybe it’s time to sell the building instead of screwing it up to this degree. I’ve been disappointed with the state of West Ferry for years. Between the litter, the sprawling parking lots, the empty buildings, the ugly buildings, and botch jobs like this, it is a wonder if this street will ever be reclaimed in my lifetime.