Revealed: 257 West 29th Street

257 West 29th StreetNow-demolished former 257 West 29th Street

Permits were recently approved at 257 West 29th Street, in Chelsea, and the site will soon become 14 stories of supportive housing. The filings come after years of failed proposals, with the site trading hands several times in the process. The design’s reveal comes from Aufgang Architect’s website.

257 West 29th Street

257 West 29th Street, image from Aufgang Architects

In 2010, Imperioli sold the site to 257 West 29th Street LLC for a quick $4.15 million. Developers originally planned a two-story expansion of the original four-story townhouse, which would have then turned into a hotel, but Arker Companies bought the site for $6.25 million in 2013; shortly afterwards, the old structure was razed using previously approved demolition permits.

The 37-unit proposal is a marked improvement compared to the under-built predecessor, and while the building’s appearance is somewhat plain, it will make some effort towards context, with a profile that’s flush against the sidewalk — an increasing rarity for new developments in the neighborhood.

To the south, a new 215-unit building by HAP will is about to rise at 215 West 28th Street, and a mini-boom is enveloping the vicinity. Blocks surrounding the Hudson Yards will likely feel pressure from the enormous new commercial properties, and providing additional housing should be a priority, especially given the neighborhood’s excellent transit access; zoning for larger projects is an obvious necessity, but instead, budget hotels proliferate.

With demolition finished, verticality is likely imminent, and Aufgang’s website gives a completion date of mid-2015.

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