| BellTel Lofts | |
|---|---|
 The New York Telephone Building, now the BellTel Lofts | |
 | |
| Alternative names | 101 Willoughby Street, 365 Bridge Street, New York Telephone Building |
| General information | |
| Type | Residential and commercial (mostly residential) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | 101 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°41′33″N 73°59′06″W / 40.69250°N 73.98500°W |
| Construction started | 1929 |
| Completed | 1931 |
| Opening | October 28, 1931 |
| Height | 348 ft (106 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 27 |
| Floor area | 401,418 sq ft (37,293.0 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Ralph Thomas Walker |
| Main contractor | Cauldwell–Wingate Company |
| Designated | September 21, 2004 |
| Reference no. | 2144[1] |
The BellTel Lofts (formerly the New York Telephone Company Building, 101 Willoughby Street, and 7 MetroTech Center) is a mostly residential building at 101 Willoughby Street and 365 Bridge Street in the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood of New York City. Constructed from 1929 to 1931 as the headquarters for the New York Telephone Company, it is located at the northeast corner of Willoughby and Bridge Streets. It was one of several Art Deco-style telecommunications buildings designed by Ralph Thomas Walker of Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker in the early 20th century. The building was renovated into a residential complex in the mid-2000s.
The BellTel Lofts measures 348 ft (106 m) tall, with 27 above-ground stories and three basements. Its design is influenced by German Expressionism, with Art Deco detailing, and derives much of its decoration from the arrangement of the bricks. The building's shape features a largely symmetrical massing and numerous setbacks with decorative parapets. At ground level, the main entrance is recessed at the center of the western facade on Bridge Street, while most of the remaining ground-story openings are metal-and-glass storefronts. On the upper stories, the facade is divided vertically into multiple bays and taper to a tower on the top nine stories. When 101 Willoughby Street was constructed, the ground story contained a lobby and auditorium, while the upper stories were used as offices. Since the 2000s, the building has contained 250 residential units, designed by Beyer Blinder Belle.
In 1929, the New York Telephone Company decided to construct 101 Willoughby Street, consolidating operations from several other buildings, including the company's old headquarters at 81 Willoughby Street. Plans for the new structure were filed in November 1929, and the building formally opened on October 28, 1931, as New York Telephone's second-largest building. The New York Telephone Company continued to occupy the building through the late 20th century, with thousands of employees there. Part of the building was renovated into a training center in the late 1980s, and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building as a city landmark in 2004. The building was sold in February 2005 to David Bistricer for $68 million, and his company Clipper Equities converted the structure to a residential condominium complex. Although sales of the condo units began in October 2006, many of the apartments remained unsold for several years.