Questions about fate of iconic Brooklyn sign go unanswered

Council member unable to get details about planned removal of Kentile Floors sign

Kentile Floors sign in Gowanus, Brooklyn
Kentile Floors sign in Gowanus, Brooklyn

Conservationists and residents are sounding off about scaffolding that has gone up around the Kentile Floors sign perched above Second Avenue and 9th Street in Gowanus, but people connected to the building are keeping mum.

The scaffolding went up earlier this week, and a building permit has surfaced that proposes to “remove existing structure and sign by hand off roof.”

But The Daily News is having no luck getting answers about the sign’s fate. The owner, Regal Home Collection, was unreachable because of the Jewish holiday Shavuot, and project engineer Peter Stroh said he could not talk about the matter. Building representative Brian Kanarek of BKR Partners told the News there was “regular building maintenance going on” and said he did not have information on plans for the sign.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

Meanwhile, Councilmember Brad Lander issued a statement saying the imminent threat to the Kentile Floors sign was deeply distressing. “Demolition of this iconic sign would be an enormous loss for Gowanus and for Brooklyn,” he said.

Lander has tried unsuccessfully in the past have the city’s Landmarks and Preservation Department protect Brooklyn’s beloved sign. [NYDN]Tom DiChristopher