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  • Brooklyn Edison Building
  • ((("brooklyn edison") and ("office building" or "adams street" or "adams st" or "pearl street" or "pearl st" or "willoughby street" or "willoughby st" or "adams" "willoughby" or "pearl" "willoughby")) or "brooklyn edison building" or "brooklyn edison co. building" or "brooklyn edison company building" or "360 Pearl Street" or "360 Pearl St" or "345 Adams Street" or "345 Adams St") AND ("new york" or "brooklyn") NOT ("other" "no title" OR "Classified Ad" OR "Display Ad" OR "Spare Times" OR "The Listings: Art" OR "events today")

The building as seen from Adams Street

The Brooklyn Edison Building (also known as 345 Adams Street) is an office building in the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood of New York City, United States. Completed in 1923 and expanded in 1926, it was designed in the Renaissance Revival style by the firm of Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker. The government of New York City owns the building's upper stories, while Muss Development has owned the first two stories of the Brooklyn Edison Building since 2008. The building is a New York City designated landmark.

Site

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The building originally had a frontage of 170 feet (52 m) on Pearl Street and 91 feet (28 m) on Willoughby Street.[1][2] The site is located near Brooklyn's civic center,[3] with the Brooklyn Municipal Building and Brooklyn Borough Hall across Adams Street to the west.[4] In addition, the Brooklyn Friends School and 370 Jay Street are directly to the east, and the Old Brooklyn Fire Headquarters is one block east.[5]

The structure is near the headquarters of other utility firms, including the Brooklyn Union Gas Company Headquarters, as well as the New York Telephone Company's regional headquarters at 81 Willoughby Street and 105 Willoughby Street.[6]

Architecture

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The Brooklyn Edison Building is a Renaissance Revival–style office building,[7][8] designed by Ralph Thomas Walker of the firm Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker (now HLW International).[9] The building's style contrasts with that of other buildings designed by the firm (such as the Barclay–Vesey Building, 32 Avenue of the Americas, 60 Hudson Street and 1 Wall Street), which were designed in the Art Deco style.[10] When the building was constructed, Brooklyn Life described the building as "exceptionally attractive" and said the building "will add greatly to the Borough Hall section of Brooklyn".[11] Other local media called the building "an attractive and worthy newcomer" to the area.[1][2][12]

Facade

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The building was originally clad mostly in white stone and brick.[11][13] To comply with the 1916 Zoning Resolution, the upper stories contain setbacks and are thus smaller than the lower stories.[7][11] The main elevations of the facade originally faced east toward Pearl Street and south toward Willoughby Street, but the main entrance was moved to the west (on Adams Street) in the 1960s.[7]

In general, the facade is divided into three horizontal sections: a base, midsection, and crown. The base is clad with rusticated stone blocks and is topped by a cornice. The midsection is made of brick and stone, with horizontal string courses, and is topped by a cornice with arches. The crown is recessed behind a balustrade with cartouches; within the crown is a penthouse-like structure with a hip roof and a chimney.[7] When the building was developed, its architectural details—which included griffins, quoins, mascarons, festoons, cartouches, and ironwork—could be seen from nearby elevated railway lines and the street. These ornaments were largely clustered at the base and crown.[12]

Pearl Street

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The Pearl Street elevation faces east and is divided vertically into 24 bays; the southernmost 16 bays comprise the original building, while the northernmost 8 bays were built in 1926 as part of an annex. All 24 bays contain a double-height round arch at the lowest two stories, and there is a terracotta cornice with arches above the second story.[7]

Willoughby Street

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Adams Street

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The base of the building on Adams Street is designed in a similar style to the Willoughby and Pearl Street elevations, except these architectural details date to a 2009 renovation.[7][14]

Features

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Originally, the building's lower stories were used by customers of the Brooklyn Edison Company, the building's original tenant. There was a model kitchen in the basement, as well as clerical space in the first floor.[1][2] The upper floors were used exclusively as Brooklyn Edison offices, accommodating 1,800 workers.[12] The treasurer occupied the second floor, and the accounting department took up the third through fifth floors. The sales department, stenographer, and mail department were on the sixth floor. The seventh through ninth floors were occupied by the electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and purchasing departments, respectively, while the tenth floor contained a boardroom and executive offices. The directors' office on the tenth floor contained an oil mural of a map of Brooklyn, painted by Andrew T. Schwartz.[15] The eleventh floor had the operating department, and the twelfth floor had a recreation room and cafeteria. All the ceilings were painted white, while the walls were painted green to reflect the sunlight.[1][2]

Brooklyn Edison wanted to equip the building with the most modern utility and lighting systems of the time.[12][16] The building was supplied by a steam heating plant with two 15,000-U.S.-gallon (57,000 L) tanks, which was located in the sub-basement. There were also eight passenger elevators, in addition to fiber ducts concealed beneath each of the floor panels. In addition, the ninth floor had a telephone switchboard.[1][2] The switchboard was Brooklyn's largest during the late 1920s, when 18 operators handled 21,000 telephone calls daily.[17] When the building was expanded to the north in 1926, the annex contained eleven floors of office space for 1,500 employees, while the twelfth floor had an auditorium.[18][19] The annex's cafeteria had an all-electric kitchen, which was the second of its kind to be built in Brooklyn.[20][21] As of 2024, the building includes several New York City governmental agencies, such as the Administration for Children's Services, Board of Elections, Department of Finance, and Department of Probation.[22]

History

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The Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Brooklyn was formed in 1889.[6][23] It was originally located at 360 Pearl Street and gradually grew into one of Brooklyn's largest power companies.[6] The firm became the Brooklyn Edison Company in 1919.[24] Concurrently, the company's business was expanding rapidly, constructing power plants across New York City.[23][24] The increased business was due in part to the rapid growth of Brooklyn (which in turn was spurred by the development of the New York City Subway), along with the growing prevalence of electronic devices in the region.[24] By 1922, Brooklyn Edison wanted to expand its headquarters.[1][2][3]

Development and expansion

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Brooklyn Edison initially bought land for the building in 1918, and it also leased some offices on Adams Street. The power company acquired the old Royal Theatre and an adjacent building on Willoughby Street in 1922, with plans to demolish both buildings.[25][26] That July, Brooklyn Edison hired Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker to design a skyscraper at the intersection of Willoughby and Pearl streets in Downtown Brooklyn.[27] Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker's plans called for the construction of a 12-story structure measuring 90 by 171 feet (27 by 52 m) on Willoughby and Pearl streets, respectively. The structure was planned to cost $1,000,000 (equivalent to $18,203,000 in 2023) and would adjoin the existing building.[25][26] As designed, the structure was to have a limestone-and-brick facade and about 170,000 square feet (16,000 m2) of office space.[13] The new structure, along with the existing building, would give Brooklyn Edison a frontage of more than 250 feet (76 m) on Pearl Street.[28]

Work commenced on August 1, 1922,[29] and was well underway by early 1923,[30] though work was delayed temporarily in May 1923 due to a labor strike.[31][32] To pay for the new office building and several other facilities, Brooklyn Edison increased its capital stock from $30 million to $50 million.[33][30] Brooklyn Edison employees began moving the building on October 29, 1923,[1][2][34] even though work was not complete at the time.[34] In its early years, the building hosted events such as bridge games,[35] exhibitions,[36] luncheons,[37] ceremonies,[38] and lectures.[39] The Brooklyn Edison Company continued to grow during the 1920s;[15] it had 2.3 million customers and was operating 24 substations and three power plants by 1925.[40]

To accommodate the company's increased business, Brooklyn Edison president Matthew S. Sloan announced in 1926 that the firm would add a 12-story annex to the north, measuring 80 by 98 feet (24 by 30 m) across.[18][41] The annex was to be similar in design to the original structure, with a setback on the eighth floor and 112,000 square feet (10,400 m2) of space;[18][19] the annex's completion would increase the amount of office space by 80 percent.[42] Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker were again hired to design the annex,[12][19] and a groundbreaking ceremony took place at the end of May 1926.[43] The company anticipated that the annex would be completed in July 1927.[18][19] The annex was completed by 1927,[44] when the company had over 9,000 employees,[45] and the cafeteria atop the annex opened in February 1928.[21][20] After the annex's completion, the building was assessed at $4,000,000[46] or $4,173,000.[47]

Use as electric company building

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Brooklyn Edison was acquired by the Consolidated Gas Company in 1928.[48] The company opened a 10-room model house, known as the Edison Wonder House, at the building in 1936.[49][50] The Wonder House, a Georgian-style structure,[50] contained contraptions and devices such as automatic doors, clocks, an automatic garbage disposal unit, and a built-in home aquarium.[49][51] In conjunction with the Wonder House's opening, Brooklyn Edison added illuminated storefronts, miniature exhibits, a model shop, and a small auditorium to the showroom.[49]

City government ownership

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In 1982, the New York City government relocated 1,200 Department of Finance employees from 139 Centre Street in Manhattan to 345 Adams Street. The city initially paid rented 153,200 square feet (14,230 m2) across nine floors for the Department of Finance, and it spent $4.8 million to renovate the space.[52] The city government started renovating the facade in 1994.[53] Due to the need to stabilize the structure, the facade work was still not complete six years later, leading Brooklyn borough president to call the project "a particular embarrassment".[53]

Muss Development bought 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) of space in the building in December 2007.[54] This gave Muss control of the two lowest stories, though the New York City government continued to own the office stories.[55][14] Muss began renovating the lower stories in 2009.[55] As part of the project, the lower-story architectural details were restored, and the two lowest stories were divided into multiple storefronts with their own utilities.[14]

By 2011, the retail space was leased to Panera Bread and Morton's Steakhouse.[56][57] Despite the subsequent closure of Morton's Steakhouse, the retail space was 100 percent occupied by 2013.[58][59] A food court called the Hill Country Food Park opened in the building in 2018,[60][61] but it was closed within six months.[62] A Dave's Hot Chicken restaurant opened in the building in 2023.[63] At the request of a local civic group,[16] the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) began considering the possibility of designating the building as a landmark in February 2024.[64][65] Following a public hearing that attracted little opposition,[66] the LPC designated the Brooklyn Edison Building as an official city landmark on June 18, 2024.[67][68]

See also

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References

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Notes

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Brooklyn Edison Gets New Home". Times Union. October 28, 1923. p. 12. Retrieved August 5, 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Edison Co. Begins Moving Into New Home To-morrow". The Standard Union. October 28, 1923. p. 9. Retrieved August 5, 2024. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b Landmarks Preservation Commission 2024, p. 13.
  4. ^ White, Willensky & Leadon 2010, p. 582.
  5. ^ White, Willensky & Leadon 2010, p. 586.
  6. ^ a b c Landmarks Preservation Commission 2024, p. 11.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Landmarks Preservation Commission 2024, p. 7.
  8. ^ Stern, Robert A. M.; Gilmartin, Patrick; Mellins, Thomas (1987). New York 1930: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Two World Wars. New York: Rizzoli. p. 813. ISBN 978-0-8478-3096-1. OCLC 13860977.
  9. ^ The National Cyclopedia of American Biography: Current Volumes A-. The National Cyclopedia of American Biography: Current Volumes A-. J. T. White. 1927. p. 496. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Hope, Mike (2019). Art Deco Architecture: The Interwar Period. Crowood. p. 169. ISBN 978-1-78500-600-5. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "The Confidence in the Community of Brooklyn as Expressed by Its Largest Electric Light and Power Utility". Brooklyn Life. April 7, 1923. p. 18. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e Landmarks Preservation Commission 2024, p. 14.
  13. ^ a b "Over $6,000,000 Involved in New Boro Office Buildings". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 17, 1922. p. 77. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Hottest Spot in Brooklyn?". Bisnow. July 18, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Brooklyn Edison Tells Its Growth". Times Union. April 13, 1924. p. 7. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Frost, Mary (March 19, 2024). "Group races to save Downtown Brooklyn's great buildings before they're gone". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  17. ^ "Busy Lives Led by Phone Girls, Figures Prove". The Brooklyn Citizen. December 30, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d "Edison Company to Spend $1,500,000 on New Office Building: Borough's Business Croft Demands Increased Facili ties; New Structure . .. Adjoin Head". The New York Herald, New York Tribune. May 16, 1926. p. C18. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113600027.
  19. ^ a b c d "12-story Addition for Brooklyn Edison Building". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 2, 1926. p. 49. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Brooklyn Edison Company Opens New Wing of Cafeteria for Employes". The Chat. February 25, 1928. p. 40. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Brooklyn Edison Co. New Cafeteria Finished; Feeds 1,000 Daily With Best of Food Cheaply". Home Talk the Item. February 29, 1928. p. 2. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  22. ^ "345 Adams Street". Welcome to NYC.gov. New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  23. ^ a b Cunningham, Joseph J. (January 2016). "Brooklyn Electrification: Reflective of National Trends and Practices [History]". IEEE Power and Energy Magazine. 14 (1): 105–114. doi:10.1109/MPE.2015.2481785. ISSN 1540-7977 – via Nxtbook.
  24. ^ a b c Landmarks Preservation Commission 2024, p. 12.
  25. ^ a b "A $1,000,000 Building; Brooklyn Edison Company Will Erect Twelve-Story Office Structure". The New York Times. July 30, 1922. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Brooklyn Edison Company to Erect Million Dollar Office Building". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 26, 1922. p. 7. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  27. ^ "Plan Skyscraper for Edison Co". Times Union. July 25, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  28. ^ "Martin's Purchase Tops Deals of Week; New Coney Theater". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 30, 1922. p. 38. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  29. ^ "Over $5,000,000 Involved in Boro Office Buildings and Theater Under Way". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 21, 1923. p. 39. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  30. ^ a b "1922 is Best Year of B'klyn Edison Company". The Brooklyn Citizen. February 9, 1923. p. 3. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  31. ^ "Bricklayers Strike on 44 New Buildings; Construction Operations Worth $125,000,000 Affected When 1,500 Quit". The New York Times. May 22, 1923. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  32. ^ "Bankers Here Deny Combine to Curb Loans". Times Union. May 25, 1923. pp. 1, 15. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  33. ^ "Brooklyn Edison to Raise Capital; Plan Announced for an Increase in Stock From $30,000,000 to $50,000,000". The New York Times. December 9, 1922. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Bklyn. Edison Co. Occupies Its New Office Building". The Chat. November 3, 1923. p. 56. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  35. ^ See, for example: "Vassar Bridge and Spring Fashion Show". Brooklyn Life and Activities of Long Island Society. March 28, 1925. p. 10. Retrieved August 8, 2024; "Day Nursery Bridge". Times Union. November 8, 1925. p. 27. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  36. ^ See, for example: "Neon Light Signs at Electric Show". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 2, 1928. p. 14. Retrieved August 9, 2024; "Exhibit Scout Work for Huntsman Cup". The Standard Union. March 29, 1927. p. 3. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  37. ^ "Boro Exposition Success Assured". Times Union. March 25, 1926. p. 43. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  38. ^ See, for example: "New University to Open; Co-Educational Institution of Long Island Starts Today". The New York Times. September 21, 1927. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2024; "Brooklyn Edison Winners; Diplomas and Cash Awarded for Service and Education". The New York Times. September 26, 1926. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  39. ^ "Win Public Esteem, Sloan Urges Firms". The Standard Union. November 1, 1924. p. 7. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  40. ^ "The Investor: Brooklyn Edison After Forty Years of Service Seen as One of Most Formidable Public Utility Corporations Among Large Number Operating in Country". Los Angeles Times. August 15, 1925. p. 11. ISSN 0458-3035. ProQuest 161806020.
  41. ^ "Brooklyn Edison Co. to Build New Unit". The New York Times. May 2, 1926. p. RE28. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 103858716.
  42. ^ "Brooklyn Edison Net Up $1,693,043". Times Union. February 11, 1927. p. 26. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  43. ^ "New Brooklyn Edison Building". Times Union. May 30, 1926. p. 15. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  44. ^ "Utility Service [advertisement]". The Chat. May 28, 1927. p. 49. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  45. ^ "Nine Thousand Edison Co. Workers Daily Serve Two Million in Brooklyn". The Brooklyn Citizen. July 17, 1927. p. 15. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  46. ^ "Realty Valuations Up $1,430,000 on City Tax Books". Times Union. October 1, 1927. p. 3. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  47. ^ "Brooklyn Realty Assessments Up $633,437,105". New York Herald Tribune. October 2, 1928. p. 17. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113499760.
  48. ^ Austin, K. l (August 12, 1928). "Utility Merger Welds Great City Companies; Purchase of Brooklyn Edison by Consolidated Gas Is Expected to Effect Economies in Distribution of Light and Power to Expanding New York Ten Millions Affected". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  49. ^ a b c "'Wonder House' Open to Public by Boro Edison". The Brooklyn Citizen. September 8, 1936. p. 3. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  50. ^ a b "Electrical Gadgets Displayed at Wonder House Preview". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 27, 1936. p. 15. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  51. ^ "Collection: NMAH.AC.1237". Brooklyn Edison Company, Edison Wonder House Records. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  52. ^ Harney, James (September 15, 1982). "City, boro officials hail Finance Dept. move". Daily News. p. 78. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  53. ^ a b Kirby, David (September 17, 2000). "Neighborhood Report: Downtown Brooklyn; City Gets a Scolding Over a Long-Stalled Renovation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  54. ^ Piore, Adam (May 1, 2010). "Muss Development makes the most of it". The Real Deal. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  55. ^ a b Brendlen, Kirstyn (June 6, 2024). "Brooklyn Edison building gains support at landmarking hearing, despite concerns". Brooklyn Paper. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  56. ^ McGeehan, Patrick (August 16, 2011). "City Selling Space in Brooklyn Building". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  57. ^ "By vacating buildings, city spurs Downtown Brooklyn retail growth". The Real Deal. August 2, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  58. ^ "Muss Development brings 345 Adams Street to 100% lease". NYREJ. April 8, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  59. ^ Gray, Billy (March 19, 2013). "345 Adams Street 100 Percent Occupied After Orange Leaf's Cool 1,000-Square-Foot Deal". Commercial Observer. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  60. ^ Fabricant, Florence (August 27, 2018). "Hill Country Opens a Food Park". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  61. ^ Vianna, Carla (November 26, 2018). "Hill Country's Austin-Style Food Hall Barrels Into Downtown Brooklyn Today". Eater NY. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  62. ^ Vianna, Carla (May 28, 2019). "Downtown Brooklyn's Hill Country Food Hall Goes Kaput After Just Six Months". Eater NY. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  63. ^ Fortney, Luke (May 16, 2023). "A Los Angeles Hot Chicken Chain Backed by Drake Is Headed to Downtown Brooklyn". Eater NY. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  64. ^ Bradley-Smith, Anna (February 14, 2024). "Downtown Brooklyn's Edison Building to Be Considered as an Individual Landmark". Brownstoner. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  65. ^ "What's News, Breaking: Tuesday, February 13, 2024". Brooklyn Eagle. February 13, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  66. ^ "Seaport Tower shows New York's fight between housing and heritage". The Economist. May 2, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  67. ^ Bradley-Smith, Anna (June 18, 2024). "Downtown Brooklyn's Brooklyn Edison Building Borough's Newest Landmark". Brownstoner. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  68. ^ "Downtown Brooklyn's Edison Building is the borough's newest landmark". Brooklyn Paper. June 21, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.

Sources

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  • Media related to Brooklyn Edison Building at Wikimedia Commons
  • Forbes, A.H. (1925). The Architect. Forbes Publishing Company, Incorporated. Plates CXXVII–CXLIV. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
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