Former YMCA Seamen’s Building
New York, NY
The former Seamen’s House YMCA is a brick and terra cotta Art-Deco building designed by the architectural firm of Shreve, Lamb & Harmon. Constructed between 1929 and 1930, the building offered facilities for merchant marines serving the ships in the Port of New York until the 1960s, before being repurposed as a women’s prison, and then vacated after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The Empire State Development (ESD) sought to repurpose the site as “The Women’s Building” to promote the welfare of girls and women. The building was determined eligible for listing on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Li · Saltzman Architects (LSA) served as Historic Preservation Consultant to ESD for the preparation of a Historic Structure Report and an Alternatives Analysis outlining options for the proposed adaptive use and development of the site. LSA’s identification of character-defining features, in conjunction with ESD’s goals, resulted in a Letter of Resolution (LOR) with the State Historic Preservation Office, delineating documentation, preservation, and educational requirements for the future project. LSA is currently serving as ESD’s Owner’s Representative to evaluate the development team’s plans and assess the scope and appropriateness of proposed preservation and rehabilitation treatments in relation to the LOR. The project is intended to provide a much-needed resource for the people of New York and re-integrate the historic building into the Chelsea community.
Designation: Eligible for Listing on the New York State Register of Historic Places, Eligible for Listing on National Register of Historic Places
