287 Broadway, Cast iron landmark in Civic Center, Manhattan, United States.
287 Broadway is a six-story cast iron building in the Civic Center neighborhood with Italianate and Second Empire architectural details. The facade runs along both Broadway and Reade Street and currently houses ten apartments with retail banking on the ground floor.
The site held a stable and dwelling by 1794, replaced by a commercial building in 1819 and a hotel in the late 1840s. In 1871 the estate of Stephen Storm hired John B. Snook to design a commercial building, completed in 1872. Early tenants included insurance companies, the Children's Aid Society and the Union Pacific Railroad. Manufacturing firms moved in during the 20th century, and the Gindi family bought it in 1969.
The building marks the shift of Lower Broadway from a residential neighborhood into a commercial hub during 19th-century New York's expansion. The ornate cast iron facade reflected how wealthy owners displayed their status through elaborate architecture.
The building sits at the intersection of Broadway and Reade Street and serves as an easy landmark to spot in this busy area. The facade is clearly visible from street level and can be appreciated on foot, though interior access is generally restricted.
The building leaned 8 inches (200 mm) to the south, forcing it to be vacated in the 2000s. A steel brace was added against the south facade in 2008, replacing the wooden shoring put up in 2007 after excavation work at 57 Reade Street. United American Land bought it in 2013, found it stabilized, and converted it into apartments and ground-floor retail.
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