Closed Chelsea Women’s Prison to Become Affordable, Supportive Housing in $108M Rebuild

A run-in with Superstorm Sandy put the former jail out of commission in 2012, and today it’s on its way to becoming affordable and supportive housing for New Yorkers who wrestle with low income or mental health issues or past criminal incarcerations.

The Bayview Correctional Facility, a women’s prison that housed hundreds until hurricane damage shut its doors, is set to undergo a $108 million conversion into low-cost apartments and state-funded transitional and supportive housing. The affordable housing crisis, the notion that New Yorkers’ rent costs consistently outpace their income, has displaced tens of thousands of residents — a problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled project Liberty Landing on July 22, promising a commitment to further eliminate the housing shortage on the state level.

“[The building] was abandoned for the last dozen years — a visible memorial to decay and decline. And no one seemed to care, until now,” Hochul said. “That’s why we’re moving one step closer to seeing this building reborn yet again.”

The unused building, “a derelict eyesore,” she said, will undergo the proposed redevelopment plan once final approval is granted by environmental and public review.

The vacant site is located at 550 West 20th Street, just off the West Side Highway. 124 affordable housing units will go straight to those in need. An additional 15 spots will go towards short-term supportive housing for individuals suffering from mental health challenges. 74 are reserved for those formerly incarcerated hoping to reacclimate to society.

“A few years down the road, New Yorkers will be unlocking the doors to their beautiful homes in a place where people were once locked behind bars,” she said. “They’ll be free from worry.”

Hochul said the supply of available rental housing hasn’t been this low since the 1960s, when rent regulation was first launched. As supply goes down, she said, the cost goes up.

“Tackling a crisis of this magnitude takes bold leadership and creative ideas,” Hochul said. “This is all part of our work to help New Yorkers, as well as end our housing crisis, and make our state more affordable and more livable.”