Building Profile: 321-323 East 5th Street

Since 1912, this site has served as a police station for the NYPD (it replaced a 19th century stable and feed store). Originally known as the 15th Precinct Police Station, it became the 9th Precinct in 1929 when the city’s precincts were renumbered. Fans of TV shows “NYPD Blue” and “Kojak” might recognize the building from its appearances on those crime dramas, though only the exterior was used for filming.
The six-story cast-stone facade dates to 1912 and features a cast stone cornice and terra cotta details, although the rest of the building was demolished around 2004. When a larger building with setbacks was completed, the Hoppin & Koen-designed facade, which had been disassembled, was reinstalled block by block. During construction, policemen had been temporarily stationed at the 130 Avenue C location, and were reportedly thrilled to see the historic facade retained (see sidebar for links).