New York Construction Report staff writer
Construction has begun on Chelsea Beacon, a $167 million redevelopment project that will transform the former Bayview Correctional Facility in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood into permanently affordable housing, supportive housing and community space.
The project will create up to 131 permanently affordable apartments, including at least 79 supportive housing units, along with a 15-bed Short-Term Transitional Residence Program for individuals living with mental illness. The development also will include about 8,500 square feet of community facility space for recreational, educational and youth programming.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the project demonstrates how vacant state-owned properties can be repurposed to address New York’s housing shortage while strengthening local communities.
“The start of construction of Chelsea Beacon represents exactly the kind of bold, innovative project New York needs as we work to tackle our housing shortage and build stronger communities,” Hochul said. “By transforming a long-vacant State property into permanently affordable homes, supportive housing and welcoming community space, we are creating new opportunities for New Yorkers to live, work and thrive.”
The property was originally built in the early 1930s as the Seamen’s House YMCA before later serving as the Bayview Correctional Facility. The prison closed after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the building has remained vacant for more than a decade.
The redevelopment will preserve the historic structure through adaptive reuse while adding new construction within the building’s interior courtyard. Historic architectural features, including the building’s chapel, will be restored as part of the project.
Supportive housing units will provide long-term housing and services, while the Short-Term Transitional Residence Program will offer intensive support over a 120-day period before residents move to more independent housing.
Construction includes all-electric building systems and other sustainability and resiliency features. State officials said construction will support local hiring while advancing participation goals for Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses.
