217 East Houston Street, home to the iconic Mercury Lounge, has hit the market for $7.5 million.

The five-story brick is a 1900 construction that houses not just the legendary haunt, but also eight apartments (five of which are rent-stabilized) spread across its top four floors. The Mercury Lounge has occupied the ground floor for over 25 years and recently renewed its lease for another five, says the listing first spotted by Bowery Boogie. 

The Provident Loan Society Building proposal cantilevers over the Mercury Lounge | Rogers Partners

217 East Houston last traded hands in 2010 for just under $5.3 million, and in 2015 its owners sold the building's air rights to Elsa and Dunnie Lai for $2.25 million.

The Lais, who own the neighboring Provident Loan Society Building (once home to the Blackout Haunted House, Element, Chaos Nightclub, and the Manhattan Gentleman’s Club), intended on constructing a 120-foot-tall mixed-use tower with 38 rental apartments atop the historic bank. However, despite receiving all the necessary approvals in 2018, the project has yet to come to fruition. The owners, in fact, tried to sell the building the same year for $20 million, but there were no takers.

In December 2020, EV Grieve spotted the historic structure undergoing some "general renovation" (as described in DOB permits) but it's still not clear what's next for this property.