Louis J. Lefkowitz Building
| Louis J. Lefkowitz Building | |
|---|---|
 Facade | |
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| General information | |
| Type | Government |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | Manhattan, 80 Centre Street |
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| Current tenants | Manhattan Marriage Bureau, New York Supreme Court |
| Construction started | 1928 |
| Completed | 1930 |
| Cost | $6 Million |
| Owner | Government of New York City |
| Landlord | New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Haugaard |
| Website | |
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The Louis J. Lefkowitz State Office Building is a building in the Civic Center of Manhattan in New York City.[1] Designed by William Haugaard, State Architect for the State of New York, the Lefkowitz Building is home, among other things, to the Manhattan Marriage Bureau.[1]
History
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Governor Al Smith laid the building’s cornerstone on December 18, 1928.[2] At the ceremony, Smith declared that he “pray[ed to] God it may stand here through the ages as a testimonial to the people of this great commonwealth.”[2]
The building opened in October 1930, and was originally home to the New York State Departments of Taxation, Finance, and Motor Vehicles.[3] Originally known as the New York State Office Building, the State renamed it in honor of Louis J. Lefkowitz, then the longest-serving Attorney General of New York, in 1984. [1]
In 2002, the State transferred the building to the City of New York, which began using it for marriages in 2009.[1] The City moved the Manhattan Marriage Bureau to the Lefkowitz Building's ornate first floor lobby in order to better compete with wedding destinations such as Las Vegas.[4] These matrimonial duties later rendered the Lefkowitz a monument to LGBTQ New Yorkers, as 293 couples wed there on the day same-sex marriage became legal in 2011.[5][6]
Plans
[edit | edit source]In August 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Department of Correction announced a plan to renovate or demolish the Lefkowitz Building, making way for an expanded jail, as part of its plan to close Rikers Island.[7] Historic preservation groups, including the Historic Districts Council and New York Landmarks Conservancy, oppose the plan.[8][9] “Though marriage is supposed to be forever, Mayor de Blasio wants to give this temple of love an ugly divorce,” wrote preservationist Adrian Untermyer in Gotham Gazette.[6] In 2018, the Historic Districts Council formally requested that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission evaluate the Lefkowitz Building for designation as a New York City landmark.[4][8]
References
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