Life After Eviction in Gowanus

For over a century, the 1.8 mile-long, infamously toxic Gowanus Canal served the thriving industrial community that surrounded its shores. But after a precipitous decline in the city’s manufacturing sector, the composition of the neighborhood changed, and artists began occupying the newly vacant spaces of former factories and workshops along the canal.

One of those buildings was 94 9th Street, a four-story brick complex that lies directly beneath the elevated subway tracks. Within a few dozen feet of the water, it was home to hundreds of visual artists and musicians, many of whom shared studios to save costs — that is, until they were evicted en masse earlier this year.

A $21 million, 101-year lease for the property was signed by real estate developer Eli Hamway who has filed permits with the city to begin demolition inside the building. It's unclear what will replace the studios. Hamway did not respond to requests for comment.

Similarly unclear is what is lost when a significant part of a creative community is displaced from its affordable workspaces — what, and where, is next for them?