The first plans for the building were submitted by Cass Gilbert one or two days after the 1916 Zoning Resolution was passed on July 25, 1916, because of an apparent misunderstanding about when the vote would take place; these plans were initially not recorded. The Rodin Studios corporation acquired the site from Mary A. Chisholm in August 1916. The next month, the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company loaned $700,000 () to the Rodin Studios corporation, while Georgia Fry provided a second mortgage of $200,000. Gilbert revised the design several times based on suggestions from Parker and the Frys. Gilbert submitted revised plans that November, and the New York City Board of Estimate exempted the Rodin Studios from the new zoning law. The building ultimately cost $1.4 million and was ready for occupancy by late 1917.
