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On this day in NY history: 120 11th Avenue: Former Life Savers factory turned into condos
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120 11th Avenue, Condo 3A LR/DR
A slideshow featuring photos from 120 11th Avenue's condos and an early Lifesavers candy ad follow the article.
1909 - 2009
The redbrick condo building at 120 11th Avenue, between 20th and 21st Streets, has a colorful history. It started as a rock quarry during the early 1900s. A five-story, red brick building was built in 1909. By 1913, it was bought by the Mint Product's Company, the makers of Life Savers candies.
Life Savers candy was created in 1912 by candy maker Clarence Crane in Garrettsville, Ohio. He needed to supplement his business. Every summer, his chocolate products melted (this was before modern refrigeration) and sales slumped. Nobody wanted squishy chocolate. He designed a line of hard mints, but lacked both the machinery and the space to make them. Crane contracted a pill manufacturer, who pressed the mints into shape. When the pill manufacturer's machinery malfunctioned, it stamped a hole in the middle of each mint. The pill makers realized that the pressing process worked much better when the mints were stamped with a hole in the middle. The candy resembled tiny life preservers, which had just started to be used by ships after the Titanic had sunk. Crane named the new candy "Crane's Peppermint Life Savers."
In 1913, Crane sold his candy formula to Edward Noble, a candy industrialist from Gouverneur, New York. Crane was paid $2,900. Noble called his business the Mint Product's Company. He renamed the candy Pep-O-Mint Life Savers. He moved his company into 120 11th Avenue in 1913. Over the few years, the compnay created several unique flavors such as Wint-O-Green (still popular today), Cl-O-ve, Lic-O-Riche, Cinn-O-Mon, Vi-O-let and Choc-O-Late. The large "O" in the middle of each name emphasized the shape of the candies. Business boomed. The Mint Product's Company had outgrown its' lodgings. Noble's brother Robert, an engineer, designed and built bigger manufacturing facilities in Port Chester. The company relocated to Port Chester in 1916.
Meanwhile, 120 11th Avenue stood empty for years. But during the 1960s, several photography and artist studios moved in. The infamous gay leather bar, the Spike Bar, moved into the ground floor during the 1980s. The bar was later replaced by an art gallery named The Spike Gallery.
The five-story building was bought in Sept. 2000 by the healthcare public relations specialists, Gianfranco Chicco and Robert Chandler. They fell in love with the building and the gritty West Chelsea neighborhood. They planned to house their agency headquarters there. They noticed that West Chelsea was becoming more family-friendly, with numerous restaurants appearing nearby, and Chelsea Piers right across the street from them. They formed another company, Puissance Enterprises LLC, in order to turn the old factory into luxury condos. In a phone interview, Mr. Chicco proudly described himself and his business partner as "pioneers, not developers. We did it for the love of the building." They wanted to combine classical structure with modern conveniences.
120 11th became West Chelsea’s first luxury loft building in over a decade. The five lofts and two triplex penthouses for sale have the restored original hardwood floors, exposed red brick, and oversized windows. Each loft also has soundproof walls, private on-site storage space, 10 1/2 foot ceilings and views of Chelsea Piers and the Hudson. There is a Bosch washer/dryer set in each apartment, bathrooms with heated floors and finishes by Boffi and Ann Sacks. The kitchen details include Gaggenau, Miele, and SubZero appliances. Among the amenities are a daytime doorman and 24-hour “virtual doorman” service, and a one-year complimentary membership to Chelsea Piers for two residents per home.
In addition to the many restaurants and Chelsea Piers, the neighborhood also has a playground, Chelsea Market, art galleries, and the West Side Park and bike path nearby.
Prices for five of its' loft condos range from $3.8 million (3,313 sq. ft.) to $5.4 million (4,017 sq ft), while its' two-penthouse triplex homes list at $17 million each (6,519 sq ft and 6,557 sf ft respectively). The main entrance is 120 11th Avenue and 20th Street.
For availability, please visit the 120 11th Avenue and the Prudential Douglas Elliman's websites. The property is handled by Lida Drummond, Helene Luchnick, and Leonard Steinberg.
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