Former prison to be converted into affordable housing

A former women's prison in Chelsea, New York, will soon be converted into an affordable housing unit by the architectural firm CookFox Architects.

Completed in 1931, it is designed in the Art Deco style with a facade of brown brick, cast concrete and terracotta. It is recognizable by its sloped corner entrance, which is paved with tiles.

In the 1970s, New York State converted the building into a women's prison. After damage from Superstorm Sandy, it was closed and abandoned in 2012.

CookFox's restoration includes restoring the facade to its original YMCA condition, including nautical details, adding on to the rear of the building, and converting the interior into apartments. The restored nine-story building will be topped with a tiered volume of additional apartments.

The project, tentatively named Liberty Landing, will include 146 affordable and assisted housing units as well as transitional housing.

The design calls for extending the floor slabs to create additional space while converting the rear brick wall into an interior partition.

In addition, historic materials in the interior will be restored and reused where possible. In addition, roofs and terraces will be converted into gardens for the residents.

The iconic Art Deco entrance will be restored to its original design and the window and roof grilles will be removed.