Chelsea Beacon Affordable Housing Development Breaks Ground in West Chelsea

Vacant since flooding from Superstorm Sandy forced its closure in 2012, a historic Art Deco landmark in Manhattan’s West Chelsea neighborhood is taking on a new purpose. 

Originally constructed between 1930 and 1932 as the Seamen’s House YMCA, the building later became the Bayview Correctional Facility, a women’s medium-security prison and work-release center. It is now being transformed into Chelsea Beacon, a $167-million affordable and supportive housing development by Camber Property Group and the Osborne Association that broke ground in September 2026. 

The project will create up to 131 permanently affordable apartments, a 15-unit short-term transitional residence, and 9,300 square feet of community space. 

Adaptive Reuse of a Historic West Chelsea Building

Thornton Tomasetti is working with COOKFOX Architects and Camber Property Group, providing restoration and renewal, façade engineering, sustainability and resilience, and acoustics, noise, and vibration practices. The multidisciplinary team is addressing the complexities of adapting the existing structure and integrating new construction while enhancing building performance and resilience. 

The design retains the main and annex buildings while adding new construction within the interior courtyard and a seven-story overbuild. Set back from the street wall, the addition will be clad in masonry that complements the historic façade. The chapel will be restored and repurposed, while the tile mosaic from the former swimming pool will be preserved and reinstalled in the residential lobby. All-electric building systems are also planned. 

Construction is expected to be completed in 2029.

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