Thanks to G. for spotting yet another interesting listing: 73 Franklin, the building just west of Shigeru Ban’s Cast Iron House in the Tribeca East Historic District that was once the home of a corset company, is for sale — and I think it has been for a while. Back in 2015, there was a listing for $65 million. Now it’s $18.3 million — 75 percent off!

The limestone building from 1859 is 54 feet wide, 75 feet deep, 21,000 square feet and comes with approved plans for a conversion — I *think* from that listing a decade ago, when the architect Wayne Turett created plans for a 7+ bedroom mansion with entertaining spaces, pool, and a roof deck. From what it looks like, it has not changed hands since the 1990s.

From the 1992 Landmarks designation report:
71-73 Franklin was constructed as two separate buildings with a continuous facade in 1859-61 for James Thompson and displays elements of both the Italianate and Second Empire styles. The marble facade above the first story is rusticated at the second story and contains six bays of window openings per story. The second-story window openings are round-arched and have keystones and a stringcourse at the spring line; at the stories above, the window openings have segmentally-arched hoods and continuous sill courses. Some historic two-over-two double-hung wood sash remain. The facade is capped by a cornice of marble and sheet metal.

The first story retains its original cast-iron storefront framing members including fluted columns and piers which support flat arches with rounded corners. Inscribed foundry marks reading “J.B. & W.W. Cornell & Co., Iron Works” appear on the bases of the center and eastern piers. Some historic infill of wood-framed doors, show windows, and transoms remains. The vault area in front of the building is faced with metal diamond plate and iron with glass lens bearing an inscribed foundry mark which reads “L.R. Case, 175 Centre St.” The exposed western elevation is a brick wall.

The present building replaced two smaller structures. In 1869, this building was occupied by Henry c. Norton & Co., dealers in boots, shoes, belting, and wagon springs; and the Lebrun & Thompson company, importers of kid gloves, French prints and flannels, and silk ties and scarfs. At the turn of the century, the building was owned by the Warner Bros. corset company. In the late 1920s the Sherman & Sons Company, converters and importers of white goods, wash goods, bedspreads, and linens, occupied the first and second stories. Currently residential at the upper stories, the building is vacant at the ground floor.