388 Greenwich Street

Infobox Skyscraper
building_name = 388 Greenwich St


built = 1988
use = Office
location = New York, New York USA
roof = 151 m (496 ft)
top_floor = 38
antenna_spire = n/a
floor_count = 39
floor_area = 2.7 million sq ft (388/390 complex)
elevator_count = 24
architect = Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC
skyscraperpage_id = 115384

388 Greenwich Street, originally called the Shearson Lehman Plaza, and more recently the Travelers Building, is a skyscraper located at 388 Greenwich St. in the TriBeCa neighborhood of New York City.

388 Greenwich Street forms a complex with neighboring 10-story 390 Greenwich Street near the Hudson River. Currently, the two buildings comprise the headquarters of the corporate and investment banking arm of financial services corporation Citigroup. 388 Greenwich stands about ten blocks north of World Trade Center and is among the tallest in TriBeCa. Like many other office buildings in Manhattan, 388 Greenwich Street contains in addition to office space, a fitness center, full-service dining facilities, a medical center, a conference center, a day care center, and an outdoor park. The building is one of the few in New York to utilize double-deck elevators.

On September 11, 2001, the building's courtyard was used as a triage center. [cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802E0D7173BF930A1575AC0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all | title = BODIES; Waiting | publisher = NY Times | Date = September 23, 2001]

A Tale of Two Citigroup Umbrellas

The building was well-known by New York residents for its large convert|50|ft|m|abbr=on-by-50 ft 4-story red neon umbrella mounted in May 1997 near the top of its north-facing side that some found emblematic and others distracting. [cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DE1D91739F93AA25756C0A96E958260 | title = NYC; Drying Out The Red Neon Umbrella | publisher = NY Times | Date = May 19, 1998] [cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03EEDC113BF937A15756C0A961958260 | title = Criticism Never Rains But It Pours | publisher = NY Times | Date = May 24, 1997] [cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE2DC173DF93AA35757C0A96E958260 | title = In the Glow of a Merger, a Fight Over a Neon Sign | publisher = NY Times | Date = April 9, 1998] . Complementing this neon sign, an iconic, steel convert|16|ft|m|sing=on, 5300 pound red umbrella sculpture also stood outside 388 Greenwich St at street-level [cite web | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/20/business/media/20adco.html | title = What's Red, Ubiquitous, and May Be on Its Way Out?| publisher = NY Times | Date = June 20, 2006] . Both have been removed from the building, the latter in the summer of 2007, as part of a deal between Citigroup and St. Paul Travelers Companies which acquired the logo.

ale

In December 2007, 388 Greenwich Street and 390 Greenwich Street were sold by Citigroup in order to reduce real estate exposure on its balance sheet. The complex was acquired by a joint venture consisting of SL Green Realty Corp. and SITQ for USD 1.58 Billion. [cite web | url = http://www.rebusinessonline.com/news_archive/2007/December/12-21-07.shtml | title = SL GREEN AND SITQ COMPLETE ACQUISITION OF CITI TOWERS | publisher = REBusinessOnline | Date = December 21, 2007] Citigroup, however, maintained their primary presence in the complex through a 15-year leaseback arrangement. [cite web | url = http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070928/FREE/70928009 | title = Citi seeks buyer for former Travelers building | publisher = Crains New York | Date = September 28, 2007]

References