Broadway Central Hotel

The Grand Central Hotel, was commissioned by Elias S. Higgins. The hotel featured elaborate French Second Empire-style architecture with mansards and dormers. At the time, it was the largest hotel in the U.S., with 630 rooms and the capacity to accommodate 1,200 guests. Notable for its luxurious design, it had three elevators, extensive carpeting, steam heating, and large dining rooms. In 1876, it hosted the founding meeting of Major League Baseball's National League.

A section of the University Hotel's Broadway facade collapsed, killing four residents. This tragic event was allegedly caused by illegal alterations to a basement bearing wall. At the time, the building housed both a welfare hotel and the Mercer Arts Center, which narrowly avoided further disaster as the collapse occurred hours before theatergoers were expected to fill the venue. The building was later demolished, and New York University constructed a 22-story dormitory for law students on the site.