Sparing a Piece of NYC History 

STRIKE!... is the constant sound you would have heard 20 years ago walking down 810 River Ave., in the Bronx, followed by a round of applause. You would have thought the clapping of hands and the roar of cheers was coming from Yankee Stadium, and that a pinstripe pitcher had just threw a final strike to give the home team another win. Wrong. The shouting of victory had come from a bowling alley by the name of Ball Park Lanes that is located directly across the street from where the old Yankee Stadium once was. Inside, an 11-year old kid had just rolled yet another strike to give his family the win over his best friend's family, and the television by the bar showed Derek Jeter being drafted to the New York Yankees, making the events of that day even sweeter.

Today, that 11-year old kid is all grown-up and sad to say that Ball Park Lanes has been closed for good and a new Yankee Stadium has been built further up the street. For over 40 years countless baseball buffs bowled a few sets before and after the ballgame. Times sure do change, luckily for you that same kid helped with the careful removal of 20 lanes. Mixed emotions stirred inside of him as he was removing pieces of his childhood from one location in the Bronx to a reuse center in Queens.

Build It Green!NYC Queens has made me proud because a piece of my childhood has been diverted from the landfill and is now being re-used in marvelous ways. The applications that this wood can be used for are endless: table-tops, bar-tops, benches; even shelves are being constructed by everyday people like you. I see the wheels in your head turning, thinking about how you can get your hands on a piece of the bowling alley I once jumped up and down on screaming STRIKE! Whether it's heart pine or maple you fancy, call or stop by our Queens location with your measurements and request a quote.  

Need AIA Learning Units?

Across the Metropolitan area, architects are finding that Build It Green!NYC's free salvage services add significant value to their projects: clients receive a tax deduction, contractors save money on hauling and labor, and projects become eligible for LEED credits.

An added perk for architects is that BIG!NYC is an AIA CES approved provider and our HSW/LU course "Reuse, Recycling and Deconstruction: Construction and Demolition Waste Management in NYC" is being offered one last time in 2013. 

Sign up now to fulfill your AIA membership and state licensing education requirements before time runs out!

• Reuse, Recycling and Deconstruction: Construction and Demolition Waste Management in NYC (1 HSW LU)
• Thursday, December 15th from 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
• Build It Green!NYC Brooklyn Reuse Center (69 9th St. Gowanus)
• $15 per person. Registration required (via WePay)

Learn more at www.bignyc.org/aia