Local Filmmaker Explores Coignet Building History in Gowanus

As the Whold Foods in Gowanus begins to rise from the ground, local news media and Brooklyn residents have taken an interest in both the environmental safety of the site, as well as the future of a landmarked building sitting on the corner of it—The Coignet Building.

In fact, one local filmmaker, Max Kutner, has chosen the Brooklyn landmark as the subject of his most recent 20-minute documentary, titled At the Corner of 3rd and 3rd. A description of the film reads as follows:

At the Corner of 3rd and 3rd, a new documentary by Max Kutner, explores the evolving character of Gowanus, Brooklyn and the mysterious New York and Long Island Coignet Stone Company Building that captivates all who pass it. Constructed in 1873, the building at 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street is a historic landmark, but has been mostly abandoned since the 1960s. The Coignet Building got back in the news when Whole Foods broke ground on its first Brooklyn market just a few feet away from the landmark. Through archival materials and interviews with historians, activists, artists, photographers, and local residents, the 20-minute film presents the first comprehensive account of the past, present, and future of the Coignet Building and how a community looks to the future while fighting to preserve the past.

View the trailer for the film at vimeo.com/maxkutner/3rdand3rd.