The Hotel Roosevelt was designed in 1924 by George B. Post & Son by one of the leading firms active in New York in the early part of the twentieth century. Like the Postum Building, the Hotel Roosevelt is one of the rare intact buildings remaining from the Terminal City development associated with the construction of the current Grand Central Terminal. The Hotel Roosevelt is the only remaining luxury hotel designed as part of Terminal City. It was connected to Grand Central by underground passages, making it easier for out-of-town visitors to easily access the hotel from the terminal. According to Kurt C. Schlichting, “Wilgus’s Grand Central Terminal was the first building complex in the United States to integrate transportation with office, retail and hotel space.” (Kurt C. Schlichting, Grand Central’s Engineer: William J. Wilgus and the Planning of Modern Manhattan. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021, 69).
For nearly 100 years, the Roosevelt was known for its popularity, refinement, and luxuriousness. W. Parker Chase, New York The Wonder City. New York: Wonder City Publishing, 1932, 126). This only ended recently when the pandemic caused its closure.
The Roosevelt remains an important survivor of Terminal City and should be landmarked to ensure the remnants of that important development continue to endure.
