Old Police HQ, 3/13/2019

This photo looks north along Centre Street from Grand Street, with the facade of the 1909 Police Headquarters filling the entire block. This was one of numerous massive civic buildings constructed in the aftermath of the 1898 consolidation of the five boroughs into the City of Greater New York. The massive new city required massive new government buildings, including this one. It served as headquarters for the NYPD until 1973, then was converted into apartments in 1988.