Ariel Aufgang is designing a new 14-story building at 257 West 29th Street in Chelsea.
Located between Seventh and Eighth avenues, the 24,480-square-foot community facility will have 37 units total, according to the plan exam application filed in February 2013. The developer is The Arker Companies.
The site was formerly occupied by a four-story mixed-use building, owned by Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos. Measuring approximately 6,000 square feet, the structure had three apartments and a ground-floor 70-seat jewel box theater for Imperioli’s theater company, Studio Dante. Imperioli bought the property for $2.4 million in 2007 and sold it for $4.15 million in 2010, The Real Deal reported.
The buyer, 257 West 29th Street LLC, then filed plans in 2011 to expand the building by two floors and convert it to a hotel. The plans were disapproved.
In December 2012, 257 West 29th Street LLC filed to demolish the building. Then in February 2013, the Arker Companies acquired the property for $6.25 million, and later that year, the structure was razed.
Aufgang’s site indicates that the new building will be a supportive housing facility. “Our dedication to providing quality homes for the most needy is reflected in the very detailed, intricate brick and stone design,” the project description reads.
On-site construction signage says that the project will be completed in Summer 2015.
Here’s what the property looked like, pre-demolition:
Photo: NYC OER
