Five historic waterfront buildings in Red Hook (New York) will be razed to make way for a parking lot for Ikea’s planned megastore.

The oldest building, dating to the Civil War, was being demolished yesterday because it was deemed unsafe by Ikea engineers.

Whether or not Ikea will be allowed to destroy the other buildings depends on which government agency has jurisdiction over the land.

If the Army Corps has jurisdiction, there are barrieres before demolition can begin, as the buildings are eligible for listing on the national register of historic properties.

But the city’s Buildings Department has said that because the buildings aren’t landmarked, it couldn’t prevent their demise.

Via Curbed NY Daily News.