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A view of the 508-534 West 26th Street building complex in West Chelsea, Manhattan (photo Isa Farfan\/Hyperallergic)<\/p>\nA view of the 508-534 West 26th Street building complex in West Chelsea, Manhattan (photo Isa Farfan\/Hyperallergic)<\/p>\n
An esteemed nonprofit wants to turn a West Chelsea arts building on the market into an artist residency program while keeping longtime tenants in their studios.<\/p>\n
The Wolff Building at 508-534 West 26th Street was listed on the market earlier this year, a move contested by artists and residents<\/a>. The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts<\/a> submitted an offer in April to purchase it and establish a studio program similar to its West 39th Street flagship, where artists have obtained subsidized workspaces through an annual application process since 1998.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is extremely important to preserve what I believe is the largest concentration of creative workers in Manhattan,\u201d Anne-Brigitte Sirois, a principal at Art State LLC who helped formulate the foundation\u2019s bid with Eagle Point Properties and Art State, told Hyperallergic. \u201cArtists contribute immeasurable cultural value to New York City and play a critical role in sustaining Chelsea\u2019s character and real estate strength.\u201d<\/p>\n Under the proposal, the Elizabeth Foundation would own the 362,000-square-foot building, while Eagle Point Properties, a private real estate firm, would act as a co-borrower and guarantor, and all three parties would share its governance. The offer amount was not disclosed.<\/p>\n Foundation officials envision keeping the historic warehouse\u2019s roughly 200 existing artists, designers, and galleries while introducing shared cultural spaces and professional development resources, including curatorial visits, peer critiques, and networking opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis model is not limited to the Wolff Portfolio. It is replicable,\u201d Sirois said. \u201cIf not here, then in other buildings where artists and creative businesses already cluster.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The site\u2019s future remains in the hands of attorneys representing the estate of Raymond and Gloria Naftali, who put the lot up for sale<\/a> last December for $170 million<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Naftalis purchased the commercial building a half-century ago and converted it into artist studios, attracting prominent tenants including photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto, painter Ross Bleckner, and conceptual artist Glen Ligon, as well as galleries such as Berry Campbell, Galerie Lelong, and Morgan Lehman.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gloria Naftali, who co-founded Chelsea\u2019s Greene Naftali gallery, had hoped the building would remain an artist haven in perpetuity, but did not include a legal directive requiring her wish in her will. Instead, attorneys representing Naftali\u2019s estate claim the building is not profitable enough to support the arts-related initiatives of the Raymond and Gloria Naftali Foundation, of which they are both trustees (Raymond died in 2003).\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/E6288DC8-10E0-4436-9A3B-638D3E3D65F8_1_102_o-1200x633.jpeg\")
Resident artists and Manhattan Councilman Erik Bottcher rallying against the West Chelsea building sale in June 2025 (photo courtesy Judi Harvest)<\/p>\n