Excavation has begun at 155-165 West 29th Street, the site of a 17-story self-storage facility in Chelsea, Manhattan. Designed by Mancini Duffy and developed by Highland Development Ventures LLC and The Davis Companies, which purchased the land in early 2021 for $62.5 million, the nearly 180,00-square-foot structure will stand 223 feet tall between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Div West 29th Street LLC is the owner, Cauldwell Wingate is the contractor, and McNamara Salvia is the structural engineer for the project. Construction financing totals $84 million and was provided by Santander Bank, N.A. and United Overseas Bank.
Photos from through the construction fence give a glimpse of the ongoing excavation. Foundations should likely be done in the coming months, and it’s possible to see activity above street level later this year.
155-165 West 29th Street. Photo by Michael Young
155-165 West 29th Street. Photo by Michael Young
155-165 West 29th Street. Photo by Michael Young
The all-electric, fully climate-controlled Class A storage facility will contain 6,300 self-storage units with drive-in loading access and additional features including electronic access control, security monitoring, motion-sensor lighting, and a comprehensive sprinkler system.
A cellar and sub-cellar space will first be created before we begin to see the superstructure rise with a series of setbacks that run the entire width of the main southern elevation. The structure will be composed of a largely windowless dark façade that appears to be made up of corrugated metal panels of varying shades of gray. Upward-pointing spotlights will be positioned atop each setback, and the building will feature a green roof.
155-165 West 29th Street. Designed by Mancini Duffy.A drive-in entrance will be positioned on the eastern side of the first level.
155-165 West 29th Street. Designed by Mancini Duffy.
The site is near two 28 Street subway stations, with the 1 train to the west and the R and W trains to the east along Broadway. The B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W, and PATH trains are also nearby at the 34 Street-Herald Square station, and Penn Station to the north provides access to the 1, 2, 3, A, C, and E trains.
155 West 29th Street is slated for completion in spring 2023.
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If you need self-storage, you’re hoarding too much crap.
I’m honestly shocked that zoning even allows for something like this in the city.
A gene kaufman building might even be welcome here instead of…or, storage in the base and above luxury apts with views. A developers dream!!!
Chelsea turns into LIC!!
Do we really need sky exposure planes in high-density industrial zones? I think I would much rather have this building be boxy with less floors than taller with setbacks. Also, It would be nice if this building had slightly taller floor-to-floors to make it easier to someday convert it to a different and more productive use.
Wait a minute…
17 floors of crap that people have no place to store?
What a waste of labor, materials and a building site! 😔
WOW. $140 million storage facility. I’m amazed the numbers pencil out. People must really pay a lot to store there possessions and must be paying a premium to have them stored here.
You’ve got to be kidding. This makes Gene Kaufman’s atrocities look like modernist masterpieces. How about instead of building a 17-story POS we build more beautiful tall buildings with 15 story basements with room for parking and mini storage? Bury that garbage!
It seems we’re going from glass boxes to dressed up concrete boxes. Come on. This whole self storage madness needs to stop, especially in the middle of Manhattan.