Preservationists roared like a 500-horsepower engine when the old Tunnel Garage at Broome and Thompson in Soho was torn down, but the condo development rising in its place saved them a surprise. Check out the top of 520 Broome Street and you'll notice the terracotta medallion that used to festoon the front of the garage, which sat on this corner from 1922 until it came down to make room for the nine-story, 51-unit building designed by Stephen B. Jacobs.
The refurbished rondel, depicting an old Model T driving out of the darkness of the Holland Tunnel, is now tucked away on a setback and hidden above Thompson Street. When the garage came down the medallion was worn and cracked, and no one knew what its fate might be. Now that it's back, the best viewing is along West Broadway in front of Kenn's Broome Street Bar. Or just hit up Jason Pomeranc for a west-facing suite at his 60 Thompson hotel across the street. Something tells us the new residents will have to pay a bit more for parking than in the old Tunnel Garage days.
· 520 Broome Street coverage [Curbed]
· Driving In From the Past, a Model T Would Want to Park Here [NYT]
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