Bronx Central Annex-U.S. Post Office | |
New York City Landmark No. 0837, 2552 | |
Bronx Post Office, March 2010
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| Location | 558 Grand Concourse Bronx, New York 10451 |
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| Coordinates | 40°49′8″N 73°55′37″W / 40.81889°N 73.92694°W / 40.81889; -73.92694 |
| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1935 |
| Architect | Ellett, Thomas Harlan; Shahn, Ben |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002584[1] |
| NYCL No. | 0837, 2552 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 1980 |
| Designated NYCL | November 25, 1975 (exterior) December 17, 2013 (interior) |
The Bronx Central Annex of the United States Postal Service is a historic post office building located at 558 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the BronxinNew York City. The four-story structure was built from 1935 to 1937. The building was sold in 2014 and is being transformed into a mixed-use structure.
The interior includes a notable series of New Deal-era murals in fresco created in 1939 by Ben Shahn and Bernarda Bryson Shahn for the Treasury Department Art Project's Section of Fine Arts. The building's facade and interior are New York City designated landmarks, and the structure is on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]
Located at 558 Grand Concourse, Bronx General Post Office was built from 1935 to 1937, and designed by consulting architect Thomas Harlan Ellett for the Office of the Supervising Architect. Constructed of smooth gray brick and is surrounded by a granite terrace, the building features graceful window openings set within marble arches.
On the terrace are two sculptures dating to 1936: The Letter by Henry Kreis and Noah by Charles Rudy.[2]
The interior features Resources of America, a set of 13 mural panels in fresco[3][4] inspired by the words of Walt Whitman.[5][6] They were executed by Ben Shahn and his wife Bernarda Bryson Shahn and completed in August 1939.[7] The government hired Shahn through an anonymous competition after he became renown for his artwork.[8] The murals celebrate American industry and the dignity of labor.
In January 2013 the U.S. Postal Service announced that it was considering selling the 175,000-square-foot (16,300 m2) Bronx General Post Office as part of its national reevaluation of facilities. Most of the operations had been relocated from the building.[9] The sale of some 200 buildings was being considered in light of declining mail volume and the growth of online services.[10] The property was one of those most architecturally distinguished, and its interior was granted landmark status December 17, 2013,[11] to preserve Shahn's mural series, Resources of America.[12] Despite protests from preservationists and the community, plans for the sale went forward.[13]
The building was purchased by Manhattan marketplace developer YoungWoo & Associates in September 2014 for $19 million.[14] In February 2015 the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the redevelopment of the property with retail space and postal services on the ground and main floors, office space on the upper two floors, and a restaurant on the roof. The plan included restoration of the exterior, the 13 murals, and the lobby which had been remodeled over the years.[15] In 2019, a rooftop restaurant called Zona de Cuba opened on the property.[16] In May 2024, the building was placed for sale again for about $70 million.[17][18]
Media related to United States Post Office (Bronx Central Annex) at Wikimedia Commons
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