8. 74 Grand Street

74 Grand Street
74 Grand Street. Photo by Elizabeth Canon.

Following a heavy rainstorm in 2004, the iron-fronted 1886 loft building at 74 Grand Street began leaning to the side toward Wooster Street. Over time, this slight tilt grew to be more than 30 inches, eventually prompting the Buildings Department to demolish the building in 2010. However, the building was not destroyed in its entirety. Instead, as a result of being located within the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District, the Landmarks Preservation Commission negotiated an agreement that required the building’s facade to be dismantled piece by piece. 

Afterward, the salvaged iron pieces were stored in a dry, secure indoor location to be kept safe until they could be reinstalled on any new building erected on the site. For 10 years, the pieces remained in storage until the site’s new owner Churchill Real Estate Holdings, and Joseph Pell Lombardi Architect undertook a project reinstalling 250 iron pieces to the facade.