Francesca Bartos 2nd, "Brooklyn Botanic Garden Defends Decision to Suspend Science Program"

 The research building for the Brooklyn Botanic garden is falling apart. There are large cracks in the floor, and doors will not shut among other structural problems the organization does not have enough funding to continue the program. For now at least they are on hiatus. On the botanical grounds a new visitors center has just been built, some say this building, while nice, has gotten in the way of scientific research by swallowing up funds that should have been used for a new research lab and library building. The structural problem is not a new one, these cracks and deterioration were first noted by staff six years ago. There is now consideration of letting an apartment building be constructed on the grounds with a floor dedicated to the science labs, in order to fund the project. But for now the focus is vacating the building before it becomes as unstable as the organization's financial situation.

   I think that while convenient it would be kind of sad to have an apartment building on botanical grounds even if it funds the project. But it is worse still that there will be no scientific project at all for a while.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/nyregion/brooklyn-botanic-garden-defends-decision-to-suspend-science-program.html?ref=science&_r=0