A now-and-then look at the former Provident Loan Society on Houston and Essex

Over the years, we've been posting about the former Provident Loan Society building at 225 E. Houston St., on the southwest corner of Essex. 

The circa-1912 building underwent a gut renovation in 2021 and became a broadcast production facility, which has been in business at the address in recent years. However, only the other day did a business sign finally appear above the front entrance for NMP Stages. (Read more about them here.) 

Before becoming an outpost of NMP Stages, the building had been on redevelopment/demolition watch in previous years.

Let's revisit that!

Longtime owners Elsa and Dunnie Lai unveiled plans several years ago — amid neighborhood opposition — to enlarge and convert the property into a 38-unit residential building with a 12-story addition atop the existing bank structure.

What could have been!

Those plans never materialized (the DOB did approve the building permits), but by July 2018, the building went on the market for $20 million as a "prime development opportunity." No. 225 never sold, however.

Before these development plans, a string of clubs and concepts came and went here (Element, the Bank, etc.). The space also served as a studio for Jasper Johns in the 1970s. 

Here are some pics from the NYPL Digital Gallery..... the first photo isn't dated (the Provident Loan Society building is on the right, mostly cut off) ...

And from the Great Depression-era 1935... you can see the unmarked truck parked near a hydrant, ready to clog the sidewalk with Amazon packages for locals killing off the area haberdashers ...

Renovation reveal at the former Provident Loan Society building

Workers have removed the plywood that covered the windows and other sections of the former Provident Loan Society building on the southwest corner of Houston and Essex ... which has been undergoing a gut renovation this past year. (Thanks to the EVG reader for the tip!)

A worker at the scene said that this was going to be a broadcast production facility, but had no other information. And we don't know if this is accurate. Update: It's not. A place of assembly permit was recently created for an "eating and drinking establishment." (H/T Upper West Sider!)

According to approved DOB permits from January 2020, workers are here for a "general renovation of existing cabaret" with "no change to use, egress or occupancy."

Anyway, cutting-and-pasting from previous posts...  this marks a new era for the old (circa 1912) building that has been on redevelopment/demolition watch these past six-plus years.

As you may recall, longtime owners Elsa and Dunnie Lai unveiled plans several years ago — amid neighborhood opposition — to enlarge and convert the property into a 38-unit residential building with a 12-story addition atop the existing bank structure.

Those plans never materialized (the DOB did approve the building permits) ... and by July 2018, the building went on the market for $20 million as a "prime development opportunity," as BoweryBoogie reported at the time. No. 225 never sold, however.

In the past 25 years, a string of clubs and concepts have come and gone here. The space served as a studio for Jasper Johns in the 1970s.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• New renderings for the luxury building that will hang out over the Mercury Lounge

• Then and now: The Provident Loan Society of New York 

Renovations at the former Provident Loan Society building

Workers recently covered parts of the former Provident Loan Society building with sheets of plywood on the southwest corner of Houston and Essex... as interior renovations picked up ...



This marks a new era for the old (circa 1912) building that has been on redevelopment/demolition watch these past five-plus years.

As you may recall, longtime owners Elsa and Dunnie Lai unveiled plans several years ago — amid neighborhood opposition — to enlarge and convert the property into a 38-unit residential building with a 12-story addition atop the existing bank structure ... remember?



Anyway, those plans never materialized (the DOB did approve the building permits) ... and by July 2018, the building went on the market for $20 million as a "prime development opportunity," as BoweryBoogie reported at the time.

No. 225 never sold, and, according to approved DOB permits from this past January, workers are here for a "general renovation of existing cabaret" with "no change to use, egress or occupancy."

It's not known at the moment what the owners have in store for the under-renovation space. They have not responded to an email asking for details on the building's future.

In the past 25 years, a string of clubs and concepts have come and gone here. The space served as a studio for Jasper Johns in the 1970s.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• New renderings for the luxury building that will hang out over the Mercury Lounge

• Then and now: The Provident Loan Society of New York