Conrad Loos Building

836 Butternut

On July 30th, 2001 a state judge ruled that the city's Historic Preservation Ordinance could not be used to prevent the demolition of the historically designated Conrad Loos Building.

State Supreme Court Justice James McCarthy said the wording of the city statute specifically authorized demolition, even if a building was designated for historic preservation. McCarthy left in place a preliminary injunction blocking demolition for at least 90 days to give the Preservation Association of Central New York time to pursue an appeal of his ruling. PACNY lost that appeal.

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Located on the southeast corner of Butternut and Park streets, the 1895 Loos Building is a excellent example of the Romanesque Revival style. It was designed by Archimedes Russell, one of Syracuse's master architects who also designed the Onondaga County Courthouse, the Central Technical High School and the Crouse College building at Syracuse University. Structurally, the building is still in very good condition and it is listed on the City of Syracuse inventory of buildings eligible for designation on the New York State or National Register of Historic Places.