Wagner Building, 1937.

Constructed in 1937 for the businessman Constantin Wagner, Jr., the Art Deco structure epitomizes the streamlined look and decorative elements (here glazed terra cotta) of the style popular along the Grand Concourse. Early advertising for the building notes its advantageous location on commercial streets, near to public transit, as a well as new population centers (housed in the rising Deco apartment houses on the Concourse) and other shopping and entertainment. The building's Art Deco features remain today, though they have been largely obscured by massive chain store signage, in this case, the huge red and white sign for the stationary store, Staples.