Down on the edge of Soho, just across from the rising tower of fun known as the Moondance Hotel, lies a broken batch of bricks formerly known as 18 Thompson Street. That pile is all that remains of a once-sad stack of bright blue brickage, the siamese twin to 20 Thompson. Now these twins, collectively known as 35 Grand Street, have been separated and change is upon them.
To wit: number 20 recently went through a painful vertical enlargement and looks somewhat the better for it. But, despite a new coat of brighter blue paint, it's sat nearly empty for a long time. Now there will be more "enlargement" on this little plot, which sits within earshot of the Soho Grand Hotel.
The Department of Buildings tells us that the developer plans a "Partial Bldg Demolition, Conversion & Enlargement of Part of the Bldg from Residential Use to Office Use." Ouch! Let's hope the operation is a success and these two siblings, inseparable for so long, are re-united once again.
