155-157 First Avenue; 230-240 East 10th Street | Block : 451 | Lot #7502 Building Date : 1938, 2001 Original Use : Market Original Owner : Department of Markets(1938), Jerry J. Rosengarten & Michael Waldman(2001) Original Architect : Lewis & Churchill(1938), Schuman Lichtenstein Claman & Efron(2001) Description & Building Alterations The one-story structure at 155 First Avenue was originally built in 1938 by the city to house the First Avenue Retail Market. The market was created by Robert Moses to “take pushcart peddlers off the streets.” In 1986 The Theater for the New City purchased and moved into the then underused building. Currently the one-story section contains four theaters.

The 16-story condo above the theater, aka the New Theater Building, was completed in 2001 after a partnership of two developers bought the air rights over the original structure. This, based on the agreement among the theater, the city, and the developers helped raise the mortgage burden on the theater.

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