Office building with commercial space · Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn
New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building
81 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
The New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building (81 Willoughby Street) is an 8-floor office building with commercial space in Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, built in 1898, with about 74,000 square feet of office space according to city records.
Also at 119-127 Lawrence Street.
- Office space
- 74K SF
- Floors
- 8
- Year built
- 1898
- Zoning
- C6-4.5
The 49th largest of the 63 office buildings we track in Downtown Brooklyn. Compare it with 6 neighbors
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Compared with its neighbors
How the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building compares
Next to the 6 nearest large office buildings, all within a 2 minute walk, the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building is the smallest by office floor area. Built in 1898, it is the oldest of them. Its estimated property tax, about $9.37 a square foot of floor area before abatements, is below the neighbors' median of $10.12.
| Building | Office space | Floors | Built | Tax / SF | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building, 81 Willoughby Street | 74K SF | 8 | 1898 | $9.37 | n/a |
| 57 Willoughby Street | 100K SF | 6 | 1929 | $10.48 | Jul 2024, $48M |
| 100 Myrtle Avenue | 470K SF | 11 | 1989 | Exempt | n/a |
| 351 Jay Street | 857K SF | 23 | 1990 | Exempt | n/a |
| 485 Fulton Street | 102K SF | 5 | 1921 | $18.12 | Sep 2026, $83.5M (2 lots) |
| 339 Bridge Street | 404K SF | 10 | 1990 | $9.77 | Aug 2022, $122M |
| 4 Metrotech Center | 1.2M SF | 24 | 1990 | $8.61 | n/a |
Sources: NYC Department of City Planning, PLUTO 26v2 for size, floors and year built; NYC Department of Finance 2026/27 roll for tax (taxable value times the class rate, before abatements, over the whole floor area); ACRIS for the last deed that moved the whole lot for a real price (a price for several lots is their combined price; condominiums sell by the unit and show n/a). Large means at least 35,000 SF of the building's main use. Walking times are straight-line estimates.
NYC tax lot records
Building facts
- Building name
- New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building
- Other address
- 119-127 Lawrence Street
- ZIP code
- 11201
- Building type
- Office building with commercial space (city class O6)
- Total floor area
- 73,860 SF
- Commercial floor area
- 73,860 SF
- Office
- 73,660 SF
- Retail
- 200 SF
- Height
- 8 floors
- Average floor
- About 9,200 SF (floor area divided by floors)
- Year built
- 1898
- Last major alteration
- 1986
- Lot area
- 10,750 SF
- Zoning district
- C6-4.5
- Built FAR
- 6.87
- Max commercial FAR
- 12
- Landmark status
- Individual landmark
- Tax lot (BBL)
- 3001480046
Nearest subway
- Jay St-MetroTech
- Hoyt St
- Borough Hall
Source: NYC Department of City Planning, PLUTO 26v2, pulled 2026-10-16; addresses from the Property Address Directory (PAD) 26b; building name from the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (below); subway stations from the MTA Subway Stations dataset, pulled 2026-10-16. Floor areas are the city's estimates for the whole building, not available space. Walking times are straight-line estimates. How we build these pages. Something wrong on this page? Tell us.
NYC storefront registry (Local Law 157)
Storefronts and vacancy
Owners registered 2 storefronts at the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building for December 31, 2025, the newest annual filing the city has published, and none stood vacant that day.
- Storefronts registered for December 31, 2025
- 2
- Vacant that day
- 0
- Share vacant across Downtown Brooklyn
- 12.4%
- Share vacant citywide
- 9.2%
Vacant on December 31, by year
Need a storefront in Downtown Brooklyn? Get matchedNYC storefront vacancy report
Source: NYC Department of Finance, Storefronts Reported Vacant or Not (Local Law 157), annual filings for 2019 to 2025, pulled 2026-10-16. Owners of buildings with ground- or second-floor storefronts register each one every year with its status on December 31; counts are by tax lot, as the owners filed them. The 2025 filing was due June 1, 2026, so a storefront vacant then may have been leased since. A vacant storefront is not always on the market, and none here is listed on Leasemark unless it shows above.
NYC Department of Finance records
Owner, property tax and assessed value
The Department of Finance lists 81 WILLOUGHBY, LLC as the owner of record. For tax year 2026/27 the city values the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building at $15.1 million and assesses it at $6.8 million. After phase-ins and exemptions its taxable value is $6.38 million; at the Class 4 rate of 10.848% (tax year 2025/26, the latest rate the Department of Finance lists) that comes to about $692,123 a year before abatements, roughly $9.37 per square foot of floor area. Commercial leases here often pass a tenant's share of tax increases over a base year through as additional rent.
- Owner of record
- 81 WILLOUGHBY, LLC
- Tax class
- Class 4 (commercial and industrial)
- City market value
- $15,112,000
- Land market value
- $1,500,000
- Assessed value
- $6,800,400
- Taxable value (phased in)
- $6,380,192
- Estimated yearly tax
- About $692,123
- Tax per SF of floor area
- About $9.37
City market value by tax year
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How to find who owns any NYC buildingSource: NYC Department of Finance, Property Valuation and Assessment Data (2026/27 roll; owner names as the roll records them, which cuts some long names short), pulled 2026-10-16; tax rate from the Department of Finance tax rates page, checked 2026-09-28. The estimate is the taxable value times the class rate. It leaves out abatements, payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements and charges, so the actual bill can differ.
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NYC energy benchmarking (Local Law 84)
Energy score, grade and emissions
The New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building reported an ENERGY STAR score of 63 out of 100 for 2024 in its Local Law 84 benchmarking filing. Under Local Law 33 that score earns a C (55 to 69). Its site energy use came to 54.5 kBtu per square foot, 16% below the national median of 64.9 for a similar property. Its greenhouse gas emissions were about 373 metric tons of CO2e (5.05 kg per square foot).
- ENERGY STAR score (2024)
- 63 of 100
- Grade this score earns (Local Law 33)
- C (55 to 69)
- Property type (Portfolio Manager)
- Office
- Site energy use intensity
- 54.5 kBtu/SF
- National median for the type
- 64.9 kBtu/SF
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- 373 t CO2e
- Emissions per SF
- 5.05 kg CO2e
- Floor area in the filing
- 73,860 SF
ENERGY STAR score by year
Energy sources in 2024
Source: NYC Department of Buildings and Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, NYC Building Energy and Water Data Disclosure for Local Law 84 (2024 filing), pulled 2026-10-16; grade cutoffs from the Department of Buildings energy grades page. Figures are as the owner filed them in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The grade is the one the filed score earns under the law's cutoffs; the Department of Buildings assigns the grade a building posts, which can differ.
Local Law 97 of 2019, estimated
Local Law 97 emissions limit
At its 2024 energy use, the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building comes to about 295 metric tons of CO2e a year under Local Law 97's coefficients, against a limit of 551 tons for 2024 to 2029 (54% of the limit), so it would owe no penalty. From 2030 the limit drops to 194 tons and the same energy use counts as about 187 tons, still under the limit.
- Period
- 2024 to 2029
- Emissions limit
- 551 t CO2e
- Estimated emissions
- 295 t CO2e
- Under the limit by
- 256 t CO2e
- Estimated penalty a year
- None
- Period
- 2030 to 2034
- Emissions limit
- 194 t CO2e
- Estimated emissions
- 187 t CO2e
- Under the limit by
- 7 t CO2e
- Estimated penalty a year
- None
Estimated from the owner's 2024 Local Law 84 filing, which reports energy by source and floor area by use: K-12 School 10,500 SF; Office 63,360 SF. It applies the coefficients and per-use limits in Department of Buildings rule 1 RCNY 103-14 and Administrative Code 28-320.3.1.1 (as the Department lists them) and the $268 per ton penalty, checked 2026-10-04. It is not the building's Local Law 97 report: that report can count renewable energy credits, solar and storage deductions and, for 2024 and 2025, the law's occupancy group limits where higher, and penalties can be reduced for good faith efforts.
Change these numbers in the Local Law 97 calculator to see what a cut in energy use would do to the penalty.
How Local Law 97 works: who is covered, the 2030 limits and what owners, tenants and buyers should check.
Own or manage 81 Willoughby Street? List a space here free and we match it against every active requirement.
NYC Department of Buildings permits
Work permits and build-outs
In the 12 months to October 2026, the Department of Buildings issued first permits for 1 job at the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building. In the last two years, interior work was permitted on 3 floors (floors 4, 5 and 7 and the cellar). The newest build-out, on floor 4, was first permitted in March 2026 (construction, plumbing; filed cost estimate $550,000).
- New jobs, last 12 months
- 1
- Initial permits, last 12 months
- 2
- Newest job first permitted
- March 2026
- Interior build-outs, last 24 months
- 5
- Floors with interior work, last 24 months
- 4, 5 and 7, cellar
Recent build-outs
New jobs by year
Build-outs across Downtown BrooklynWhere NYC offices are being built out
Source: NYC Department of Buildings, DOB NOW: Build Approved Permits, pulled 2026-10-24 (permits issued through 2026-10-22). A job counts once, when its first permit is issued; renewals are not new work. A build-out groups jobs on the same floors first permitted within 120 days of each other. Costs are the estimates filed with the jobs. Jobs filed before DOB NOW (in the older BIS system) are not counted. A permit is approval to do the work; it does not say who the work is for or whether it is finished.
Landmarks Preservation Commission records
Architecture and history
The New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building was designed by Rudolphe L. Daus and built in 1897-1898 in the Beaux-Arts style. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated it a New York City landmark on June 29, 2004.
- Architect
- Rudolphe L. Daus
- Constructed
- 1897-1898
- Style
- Beaux-Arts
- Primary material
- Light tan brick
- Built as
- Office building
- City landmark
- New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building: individual landmark, designated June 29, 2004 (LP-02156)
Source: NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, Individual Landmark Sites and Individual Landmark and Historic District Building Database on NYC Open Data, pulled 2026-10-16. A designation can cover part of a lot, such as a facade or a lobby interior.
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Questions about New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building
How big is the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
The New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building has about 74,000 square feet of floor area in total, including 74,000 square feet of office and 0 square feet of retail, according to NYC PLUTO 26v2. These are the city's estimates for the whole building, not space that is available.
When was the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building built?
The Landmarks Preservation Commission's building records date the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building to 1897-1898, designed by Rudolphe L. Daus. The building is 8 floors tall.
Who designed the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
Rudolphe L. Daus, according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission's building records, which list the style as Beaux-Arts and its original use as an office building.
Is the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building a New York City landmark?
Yes. The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building an individual landmark on June 29, 2004 (LP-02156). Changes to a designated landmark, including many storefront, window and signage changes, need a permit from the Commission.
What is the address of the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
The New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building is at 81 Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn. City records list 119-127 Lawrence Street on the same tax lot (BBL 3001480046). A space listed on Leasemark at any of these addresses shows up on this page.
What is the ZIP code of 81 Willoughby Street?
81 Willoughby Street is in ZIP code 11201, according to the city's tax lot records (NYC PLUTO 26v2) and the Department of Finance's assessment roll. The New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building is at 81 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, in Downtown Brooklyn.
What is the zoning at the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
The lot is in the C6-4.5 zoning district. PLUTO lists a built floor area ratio (FAR) of 6.87 and a maximum commercial FAR of 12 for this lot.
What subway station is closest to the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
The closest subway station to the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building is Jay St-MetroTech (the A, C, F and R trains), about 100 feet away in a straight line, roughly 1 minute on foot. The MTA lists it as an accessible station. Also nearby: Hoyt St (the 2 and 3 trains), 3 min walk; Borough Hall (the 2, 3, 4, 5 and R trains, connected to Court St), 4 min walk. Walking times are straight-line estimates; the street route is longer.
Who owns the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
The NYC Department of Finance's 2026/27 assessment roll lists 81 WILLOUGHBY, LLC as the owner of record of the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building (BBL 3001480046). Big buildings are usually held through a company set up for that one property, so the name on the roll can differ from the landlord's brand or the managing agent. Deeds and mortgages for the lot are public in ACRIS, the city's property records system.
What is the energy grade of the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
The New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building reported an ENERGY STAR score of 63 for calendar year 2024 in its Local Law 84 benchmarking filing. Under Local Law 33, as amended by Local Law 95 of 2019, a score of 85 or higher earns an A, 70 to 84 a B, 55 to 69 a C and under 55 a D, so 63 earns a C. The Department of Buildings assigns the grade a building posts, so the posted label can differ if a filing was corrected. Its site energy use came to 54.5 kBtu per square foot, 16% below the national median of 64.9 for a similar property. Its greenhouse gas emissions were about 373 metric tons of CO2e (5.05 kg per square foot).
Does the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building meet Local Law 97?
At its 2024 energy use, the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building comes to about 295 metric tons of CO2e a year under Local Law 97's coefficients, against a limit of 551 tons for 2024 to 2029 (54% of the limit), so it would owe no penalty. From 2030 the limit drops to 194 tons and the same energy use counts as about 187 tons, still under the limit. This is an estimate from the owner's 2024 benchmarking filing using the coefficients and per-use limits in the law and the Department of Buildings rule, at $268 per ton over. It is not the building's Local Law 97 report, which can count credits and deductions this estimate cannot.
Is there construction at the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
In the 12 months to October 2026, the Department of Buildings issued first permits for 1 job at the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building. In the last two years, interior work was permitted on 3 floors (floors 4, 5 and 7 and the cellar). The newest build-out, on floor 4, was first permitted in March 2026 (construction, plumbing; filed cost estimate $550,000). These are the Department of Buildings' DOB NOW work permits for tax lot 3001480046. A permit is approval to do the work; it does not say who the work is for or whether it is finished.
What are the property taxes at the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
The Department of Finance's 2026/27 assessment roll lists a taxable value of $6.38 million for the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building. At the Class 4 rate of 10.848% (tax year 2025/26, the latest rate the Department of Finance lists), that is about $692,123 a year, roughly $9.37 per square foot of floor area, before abatements such as ICAP. The city's property tax records for BBL 3001480046 show the actual bill.
What is the assessed value of the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
For tax year 2026/27, the NYC Department of Finance puts the market value of the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building at $15.1 million ($1.5 million of it land) and its assessed value at $6.8 million, the 45% of market value the city assesses for Class 4 property. The city's market value rose 12% from 2022/23 ($13.5 million) to 2026/27.
Are there vacant storefronts at the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
Owners registered 2 storefronts at the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building for December 31, 2025, the newest annual filing the city has published, and none stood vacant that day. These are the owners' filings with the Department of Finance under Local Law 157, so a storefront may have come free since. Owners and brokers can list a storefront on Leasemark for free.
Is there office space for lease at the New York and New Jersey Telephone and Telegraph Building?
No space at 81 Willoughby Street is listed on Leasemark right now. Owners and brokers can list space here for free, and tenants can post a requirement to be matched when space opens up.
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