Chelsea's second oldest building, the ivy-covered West Building of the General Theological Seminary, is on its way to becoming 23 multi-million dollar condos, and Gothamist, those lucky bastards, got a sneak peek construction tour of the conversion. The Seminary sold off several buildings in order to stay solvent, and the Brodsky Organization picked up a couple, including the West Building at 455 West 20th Street. The developer brought on preservation specialists Beyer Blinder Belle Architects, who are working to restore and update the West Building to DOB regulations within landmark constraints.
The super thick, 175-year-old stone walls have settled in unusual ways, which has made creating new windows and doors a challenge. The windows had to be custom-built to fit the odd sizes, and the LPC required the wood to match the original designs. All of the building's floors and interntal structure had to be completely rebuilt to meet building regulations and accomodate the layout of the apartments. On the top floor, the orignal vaulted wood ceiling has been preserved, and it's easy to imagine the space as an incredible penthouse.
The teaser website is still empty, so we don't know that much the actual one-, two-, and three-bedroom condos, except that prices will start at $2.2 million and they should be ready for move in by fall 2013. DOB records show 23 units, which includes a duplex penthouse and seven duplexes on the first two levels. Have more intel? The tipline is open. In the meantime, here's an aerial rendering of the finished building:
· Photos: Inside Of Chelsea's Secret Castle [Gothamist]
· 455 West 20th Street coverage [Curbed]
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