The Manhattan Municipal Building at 1 Centre St. was renamed the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, in honor of New York’s mayor from 1990 through 1993 and the first African-American to hold the position.
“Those of us who were lucky to serve in the Dinkins administration had the honor of serving a leader who took challenges head on,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio, who worked on the City Hall staff in the Dinkins years. “He’s left an indelible impact on this city – and I can’t think of a more fitting tribute.
Dinkins, a former state assemblyman, spent 14 years of his public service career in the building: 10 years as the city clerk and four more years as Manhattan borough president. After defeating three-term incumbent Ed Koch in the 1989 Democratic mayoral primary and federal prosecutor Rudolph Giuliani in the general election, he moved across the street to City Hall.
He served one term before losing to Giuliani in a rematch.
The municipal building, which opened in 1914, was the world’s first building constructed with a subway station inside.
