Silverstein Properties Completes $50 Million Renovation Of The Equitable Building At 120 Broadway In The Financial District

By Michael Young | YIMBY New York

Restoration work on the Equitable Building, aka 120 Broadway, is complete. The historic 104-year-old Beaux Arts skyscraper underwent a two-year, $50 million renovation and recently celebrated the opening of the Bankers Club. The 20,000-square foot space is located on the 40th floor of the 1.9 million-square-foot commercial office building and features an 8,000-square-foot indoor lounge, a cafe, a food hall, and a large, newly built outdoor landscaped rooftop deck for tenants. Beyer Blinder Belle is the design team, while Silverstein Properties is responsible for financing the Financial District project.

The tall arched window once again shines in the daylight and reveals the intricate details and craftsmanship. It was formerly covered with large slabs of dark marble after a previous renovation in the 1980s. The lobby, main façade, and retail concourse were also part of the overhaul.

Amenities and upgrades for office tenants include bicycle storage with locker rooms and showers, new elevator cab finishes, new security turnstiles, and a fully refurbished lobby with the restored, vaulted ceilings.

The Equitable Building occupies the entire parcel bound by Broadway, Nassau Street, Cedar Street, and Pine Street, and sits diagonally from the southern tip of Zuccotti Park. Completed in 1915, the 538-foot-tall building drew widespread criticism that its tremendous bulk prevented light and air from reaching the street. Its construction led directly to the 1916 Zoning Resolution, which changed the trajectory of skyscraper development by mandating setbacks on tall structures. Though it is now overshadowed by much taller and more expansive buildings, the Equitable Building’s imposing mass still stands out among the skyline of Lower Manhattan, contributing to its diverse mix of stone, steel, and glass towers.