| Address: | 280 Broadway | Class: | B |
| Cross Streets: | Chambers & Reade Streets | Size: | 150,000 SF |
| Year built: | 1846 | Architect: | John B. Snook |
The office building owned and occupied by the City of New York at 280 Broadway is one of the oldest and most iconic buildings in New York City.
It was originally constructed for the A.T. Stewart Company in 1846 and housed the very first department store in the city. It was designed by John B. Snook of Joseph Trench and was known at the time as the A.T. Stewart Dry Good Store Building. After A.T. Stewart moved out, 280 Broadway served as a warehouse and was converted to office space in 1884. In 1917, the New York Sun newspaper purchased the property and renamed it the Sun Building; 280 Broadway housed the newspaper’s headquarters until 1966 when the City of New York acquired it.
280 Broadway was the first Italianate commercial building in the city. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and a New York City Landmark in 1986. It remains fully occupied by the City of New York and the New York City Department of Buildings. The property underwent a $37.2 million renovation effort in 1999, spearheaded by Beyer Blinder Belle. The renovation added retail space on the ground floor and created a dome, now known as an atrium, with five skylights above the central court.
150 KSF of Class B City Hall Office Space
The Lower Manhattan building at 280 Broadway was completed in 1846 for A.T. Stewart’s department store. It was converted to office space in 1884 and renovated in 1999 and 2002; its facade was upgraded in 2019. The City of New York owns and occupies the seven-story building, which features open spaces filled with abundant natural light. The property incorporates close to 100,000 square feet of prime retail space on the ground floor.
Getting to and from 280 Broadway
280 Broadway is located in the city’s City Hall submarket, between Chambers and Reade Streets. The property is steps away from New York City Hall, The Woolworth Building, City Hall Park, and the City Hall subway station, serving the R and W trains. It’s also just a short walk from the Brooklyn Bridge, the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, the U.S. Inspector General, the New York County Supreme Court, and various other government institutions.
Who is renting office space at 280 Broadway?
280 Broadway is owned by the City of New York, which occupies the entire office portion of the property. The retail space on the ground floor is home to the Potbelly restaurant, the Gibney performing arts center, and the Royal Green Appliance Center.
Image via Google Street View
