Rarefied retail: the historic ‘Peoples’ Department store’ is for sale in New York’s Hudson Valley

Billed as ‘the People’s Department Store’ when built in 1910, the Five Double Five building in New York’s Hudson Valley offered a luxurious shopping experience for patrons who crossed its grand threshold. The prominent Art Deco landmark is now for sale for $1.65m.

The building was modelled on the grand retail palaces of Europe and constructed with 28-ft-long horizontal steel beams and an all-glass facade to frame views along Warren Street, up to the Catskill Mountains in the distance. Its clever industrial construction method meant its five floors could be completely column-free, offering unobstructed views across retail areas, and amplifying the feeling of space created by high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass panes.

In total, the department store offers a whopping 8,000 sq ft of space, with a glass-capped atrium at the centre of the building, ringed by decorative balustrades.

Five Double Five is listed via The Lillie K Team at Select Sotheby’s Realty. The Hudson Valley property is marketed as a mixed-use commercial opportunity, suitable for an art gallery, coworking venture, restaurant or new retail space. There’s also potential to create a dramatic loft – subject to planning – that celebrates the building’s industrial and art deco features.