2 Broadway
2 Broadway is an office building at the south end of Broadway, near Bowling Green Park in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City. 2 Broadway was built on the site of the New York Produce Exchange, and now houses the headquarters of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
2 Broadway | |
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General information | |
Type | Office |
Architectural style | International |
Address | 2-8 Broadway |
Town or city | Financial District, Manhattan, New York City, New York |
Country | United States |
Coordinates | 40°42′17″N 74°00′48″W |
Construction started | 1958 |
Completed | 1959 |
Renovated | 1999 |
Height | 421 feet (128 m) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 32 |
Design and construction | |
Architecture firm | Emery Roth & Sons |
Renovating team | |
Renovating firm | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
References | |
[1] |
Description and history
![](../I/New_York_Produce_Exchange_1883.jpg.webp)
The New York Produce Exchange building, which was designed by George B. Post, and built from 1881 to 1884, was demolished in 1957 and replaced by 2 Broadway, a 32-story tower constructed in 1958–1959. The developer, Uris Buildings Corporation, first preferred a design by William Lescaze with Kahn & Jacobs, which featured a tower slab set at right angles to Broadway. However, ultimately Emery Roth & Sons was given the contract, which saw a radically different design which would fill most of the lot, with the building rising in triple setbacks. The facade is now covered in blue-green tinted glass.[2]
In the 1990s, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was vacating its headquarters at 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The MTA rented space in 2 Broadway where it moved some of its operations.[3][4] In 1995, Tamir Sapir, a Russian immigrant and cab driver turned real-estate investor, bought 2 Broadway for $20 million, with the MTA as the only tenant in the building. The MTA signed a 49-year lease in July 1998, shortly after selling its New York Coliseum. Shortly after, Sapir and the MTA agreed to conduct $39 million worth of renovations to 2 Broadway. However, the renovations had become delayed and over budget, and Sapir and the MTA became involved in numerous lawsuits and countersuits. By 2000, the renovations were expected to cost $135 million.[5] By 2003, the cost of the renovations had risen to $435 million. Part of the budget increase was attributed to corruption by contractors who were renovating the buildings.[6] One such contractor was later ordered to pay restitution to the MTA for corruption.[7]
The renovation and reskinning of the building was undertaken by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.[8]
In popular culture
- 2 Broadway features prominently throughout the American comedy-drama film The Apartment (1960), produced and directed by Billy Wilder, as the building in which the characters played by stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray work.[9][10][11][12]
- The building was a filming location in the thriller Mirage (1965), with Gregory Peck and Diane Baker.[13][14][11][12]
References
- "2 Broadway". Emporis. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- "2 Broadway". Nyc-architecture.com.
- "Saying Farewell to an Old Friend". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. April 26, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- Spellen, Suzanne (January 16, 2013). "Building of the Day: 370 Jay Street". Brownstoner. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- Bagli, Charles V. (2000-08-09). "Brass Knuckles Over 2 Broadway; M.T.A. and Landlord Are Fighting It Out Over Rent and Renovations". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
- "BUILDING BLOCKHEADS – MTA'S HQ RENOVATION $300M OVER BUDGET". New York Post. 2003-05-05. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
- "MTA Gets $6.5 M. for 2 Broadway Mess". Observer. March 13, 2007. Retrieved 2018-06-20.
- White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot & Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
- "The Apartment (1960)" otsoNY.com
- "Love & Sex on the Upper West Side: The Filming Locations of The Apartment" Scouting New York
- "The Apartment 1960" Movie-Locations
- "The Apartment (1960) Filming Locations" The Movie District
- "Mirage (1965)" otsoNY.com
- "Movies Filmed at 2 Broadway" MovieMaps
External links
Media related to 2 Broadway at Wikimedia Commons