Ghostly remnants of Todd Shipyard live on in Erie Basin Park

Eye On Real Estate

May 30, 2017 By Lore Croghan Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Cranes in Red Hook's Erie Basin Park are reminders that Todd Shipyard stood at this site behind IKEA. Eagle photos by Lore Croghan

Share this:

We’re still sorry the shipyard is gone.

Ghostly reminders of its glory days live on in a park behind the IKEA in Red Hook.

Gigantic cranes loom along the shoreline of Erie Basin Park. There are broken piers fenced off from public access. Cast-off machinery and coils of rope are artfully displayed.

We took some photos to share with those of you who run out of time and energy to visit the park after shopping at the Swedish home-furnishings megastore at 1 Beard St.

Years ago, when the New York City Planning Commission gave IKEA the go-ahead to demolish Todd Shipyard and build a 346,000-square-foot store and a parking lot, the commission stipulated that the retailer include a park on the site. The historic shipyard dated back to the 1860s.

IKEA and Erie Basin Park both opened in 2008.

Despite the sad, sad reason for its existence, the park is photogenic.