A Katz History Lesson: The Police Building
As a firm who specializes in restoring and maintaining historic structures in New York City, history always fascinates us. In particular, we love us some good old New York City lore. Lucky for us, we have the privilege of working in some of the most famous structures our city has to offer.
One of those buildings is 240 Centre Street. Today it is full of luxury condominiums and known as the Police Building Apartments. But for most of the 20th century, it was commonly referred to as the Police Building.
Can you guess why?
Following the 1898 consolidation of the five boroughs into the City of New York, the police department needed a new headquarters. In 1909, 240 Centre Street was built and up until 1973 it served as the central office of the New York City Police Department.
It was built in the Beaux Arts style, which is a neo-classical architectural aesthetic that was taught in 18th century Paris and heavily influenced the United States from 1880 to 1920. The original design was by the firm Hoppin & Koen.
In addition to the beautiful structure that stands today, the building also has some fascinating secrets underground.
In fact, according to popular lore, a secret tunnel existed to connect a speakeasy called Callahan’s with the headquarters in order to create an easy passage for officers to enjoy a drink during Prohibition. There was also rumored to be a brothel as well. It’s been said that the tunnel has since been converted into a wine cellar, though some claim it has been sealed forever.
Fact or fiction? Who knows? What is true, is that in 1978 the entire building was designated a New York City Landmark and in 1980 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1988, it was converted into luxury apartments of varying size, from simple one bedrooms to grand, multi-level units which incorporate the dramatic domed spaces of the original structure.
Today, we are proud to serve as the Building Architect for the structure. As part of this role, our firm provides design and construction review services associated with all potential renovation work. We also assess code compliance and any potential impacts on the building’s infrastructure. Since 2009, we have reviewed dozens of renovations, many of which involve modifications to the building structure and mechanical systems.
In all of our work, we’ve yet to find that tunnel. But maybe, by now, we’ve inspired you to pay a visit to the building and admire its history anyway? We promise it is worth the trip.
In the meantime, please stay tuned in the coming year as we continue to explore some of the historic structures we have the pleasure of working with and the stories behind their creation.
