New York, NY

The Bayview Visual Arts Center will be a dynamic, office and retail adaptive re-use development of the former Bayview Womens Prison located in the West Chelsea Arts District. The building will be anchored by Adorama Camera, the nation’s second largest photography retailer, who will relocate their flagship retail store, rental services, and office headquarters to the building.

It is Adorama’s vision to create a new hub for the visual arts, which will not only activate the vacant facility, but enliven the block by adding a new retail presence, further enhance the neighborhood by attracting arts and multimedia tenants, and provide space for the public and the community.

The proposal incorporates the use of additional floor area located on the adjoining Laundry Building site. A seventeen story tower will contain office space for creative arts uses, galleries, and other allied organizations in the arts. In particular, the development will provide approximately 2,000 square feet of space for community facility use, to be occupied by arts partner Hudson Guild.

CLIENT: Adorama-Acuity Capital / NYS EDC
COMPLETION: 2016
SIZE: Photography Retail and Office: 69,000 square feet; Community Facility Space: 3,000 square feet;
Visual Arts and Multimedia Tenant Space: 58,700 square feet