Historic cast-iron building in Soho once owned by William Waldorf Astor asks $17M
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Historic cast-iron building in Soho once owned by William Waldorf Astor asks $17M

January 27, 2021

 All photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

A 19th-century custom-designed Soho building once owned by William Waldorf Astor is on the market for $17 million. Located at 435 Broome Street, the Victorian Gothic building was built in 1873 by famed architect William Appleton Potter and features five tall loft stories framed by exterior cast-iron colonnettes and capitals. As the listing describes, the property, located between Broadway and Crosby Street, is the “perfect multi-functioning property for retail, office, or residential mixed-use.”

As Daytonian in Manhattan reported, Catherine Wilkins, one of the first women in the city to become a real estate developer, acquired the property at 435 Broome Street and hired Potter to design a new loft building. Potter, known for his work on Princeton University buildings, added many unique design elements to the facade, including Italianate columns and slender cast-iron sunflowers on the frieze.

The building was sold in 1898 to William Waldorf Astor, founder of the Waldorf Astoria and great-grandson of Jacob Astor, for $75,000. After leasing the building to leather bag maker Freund Bros. & Co. and leather trunk company A. Lercher, the Astor family sold the building in 1925. After being home to a number of commercial tenants over the years, the property later housed some cultural and arts organizations, including the gallery the Puffin Room until 2010.

Currently, 435 Broome is set up as three residential lofts, one commercial loft showroom, ground floor retail space, and a lower level with a sub-basement. The ground floor features 15-foot ceilings and a deep floorplate. The building will be delivered vacant.

According to the listing, additional air-rights are available to develop a sixth-floor, but any project must be approved by the Landmarks Preservation Commission as the building sits within the Soho Cast-Iron Historic District.

[Listing details: 435 Broome Street at CityRealty]

[At Douglas Elliman by Louis Puopolo and Lori Barbaria]

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All photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

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All information furnished regarding property for sale, rental or financing is from sources deemed reliable, but no warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy thereof and same is submitted subject to errors, omissions, change of price, rental or other conditions, prior sale, lease or financing or withdrawal without notice. All dimensions are approximate. For exact dimensions, you must hire your own architect or engineer and for no listing shall the number of bedrooms listed be considered a legal conclusion.

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