RAND’s historic restoration of the New York City Landmark 901 Broadway, built in 1870, received a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award.
Last Thursday night my RAND colleagues and I joined more than 500 people to celebrate the beauty and grandeur of historic restoration at the 25th annual Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards. We’re proud to say that a RAND project was one of the recipients.
RAND President Stephen Varone, AIA; RAND Partner and Senior Structural Engineer Michael Larkin, PE; and I joined Vladimir Kokorev. President of Karass Development Company, to accept a project award for the historic restoration of 901 Broadway, a New York City Landmark building owned and operated by Karass.
Constructed in 1870 on the corner of 20th Street in what is now the Ladies Mile Historic District, 901 Broadway was the first iron-framed building in New York City. Originally home to the Lord & Taylor Dry Goods store, the five-story structure has an ornate cast-iron facade, a turret, a corner pavilion, and a tall slate mansard roof. In 1915, Lord & Taylor relocated its store, and 901 Broadway was transitioned into manufacturing use. After decades of disrepair, RAND was hired in 2011 to restore the building to its original glory, which set the stage for its comeback.
The $1.8 million restoration program was extensive: Decorative cast iron facade elements, including ledges, capitals, and finials were repaired or replaced with fiberglass replica. The white cast iron facade and fire escape were repainted, and historic wood windows and doors were repaired and refurbished. A major crack in the pavilion was repaired and the roofing system was reinforced. Original slate shingles on the mansard and pavilion roofs were reinstalled or replaced with new matching slates. The dormer was rebuilt with pressed metal to match the original configuration, and the failed drainage system was replaced.
In a nod to the building’s history, the ground floor now houses a Brooks Brothers store, with a mix of residential and commercial spaces on the upper floors.
Karass Development President Vladimir Kokorev proudly displays the Lucy G. Moses Project Award for 901 Broadway with RAND’s William Pitonyak, Stephen Varone, and Michael Larkin.
Presented by the New York Landmarks Conservancy, one of the city’s long-standing bastions for architectural preservation, the preservation awards honor the late Lucy Goldschmidt Moses, whose generosity, dedication, and many philanthropic interests benefitted New York for more than 50 years. The event was held in the sanctuary of The Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Brooklyn. Also an award recipient this year, the cathedral recently underwent a revival of its own, including the restoration of its Spanish Colonial style exterior, the refurbishment of existing murals, and the commission of several new paintings. It was a magnificent space to hold such a distinguished event.
Among the other project award winners were Kings Theater, Tavern on the Green, Grace Church in Brooklyn Heights, and The Players. Also honored was Christopher Gray, the former New York Times “Streetscapes” columnist, who received the Preservation Leadership Award for his extensive research and writing about New York City buildings for more than 40 years.
RAND is honored to have been part of this wonderful celebration of New York City’s historic preservation achievements and to have played an important role in restoring one of the city’s treasured landmarks.
William Pitonyak, a Project Associate at RAND, was a member of the project team for 901 Broadway.
