Twin Historic Structures Will Be Combined on the Inside, Restored on the Outside
A pair of neglected classic buildings on Canal Street are due for a refresh. The buildings at 272 and 274 Canal (at the corner of Cortland Alley) date from 1885 and 1883, respectively. They were designed by John B. Snook (remembered for cast-ion architecture in Soho and the original Grand Central Depot, the predecessor of Grand Central Terminal) and Alfred B. Ogden (known for townhouses in Greenwich Village and the Upper East Side) in a style called Neo-Grec.
This was a vogue in architecture in the late 1800s, sparked by the renewal of excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum, which uncovered Graeco-Roman and Egyptian styles that became a new visual idiom for building in America. The two structures were designed as “store and loft” buildings, which were warehouses that doubled as merchant offices, and facilitated the booming trade in cargo brought to New York by sail freighters in the 19th century. In recent years, however, the buildings at 272 and 274 Canal have stood empty and fallen into disrepair, their street-level facades marred by sidewalk sheds, metal gates, and graffiti.
Because 272 and 274 Canal sit within the Tribeca East Historic District, the structures are legally protected and any alterations much be approved by the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. The proposed remodeling sought by the owners of the two buildings includes the removal of modern additions such as security gates and fire escapes, and the reconstruction of the cast iron columns that were a signature of Snook’s designs in the 1890s.
Within the buildings, a so-called “party wall” (a structural element shared by adjoining row houses that helps hold up both) will be removed, so that the interiors can be combined into a single space. This will effectively make 272 and 274 Canal a single building. Other work that will be invisible from the street will include the installation of an elevator and a new stairwell, along with heating and cooling machinery on the roof.
Architect Jinho Kim says that when the restoration is complete, “the first floor will be a restaurant, the second and third floor will be offices, and the fourth floor will be residential.”