Maverick Chelsea: Hybrid rental-condo project gets groovy facade by DXA Studio; See new photos

By CityRealty Staff | From Future New York Thursday, June 18, 2020

The Maverick Chelsea rendering via HAP Investment Developers

Updated 6/18/2020 with new construction photos

The beveled curtain wall is nearly complete at HAP Investments' new Chelsea condo-rental project Maverick Chelsea (formerly HAP Eight). The pair of topped-out buildings at 215-229 West 28th Street will encompass nearly 300,000 square feet of space and introduce approximately 200 for sale and rental apartments to a low-key block across from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Residents of the buildings will be able to take advantage of the area's fresh floral options, dwindling fur trade, growing tech presence, Madison Square Garden, and a plethora of underfunded transit options. Fortunately, the building's central location allows for short walks to Midtown and Hudson Yards offices.

Designed by the astute firm of DXA Studio (think One Hundred Barclay interiors and 14 White Street in Tribeca), the brawny, nearly identically-massed buildings will sport beveled, gridded façades whose extruded sections become narrower as they rise. The first panels have been installed at the western tower in recent weeks (see gallery photos). Passersby can expect these mirroring skins to capture varying qualities of light and shadow. The theme is consistent with other big-ticket developments such as Essex Crossing’s 242 Broome and JDS Development's 111 West 57th Street, both designed by SHoP Architects.

Revised building permits show a slight change of plans from what we previously covered. The buildings will have 112 rentals and 87 condos, a total of 52 parking spaces, and ground-floor retail. The floor schedule shows there will be between two and eight apartments per floor. New renderings, given to us by the developers, show many homes will have inset Juliet balconies — this is in addition to terraced units located along the buildings' setbacks. Common amenities are to include a fitness center, spa, tenant and bike storage, and a rooftop deck.

Renderings showing the treatment of the ground floor

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Day and night view of HAP Eight's facades

Google Earth aerial showing location of HAP Eight

According to Viele map of 1865 which shows Manhattan's original topography and shoreline, a stream once ran through the site of HAP Eight (shown red). This likely explains the arduous excavation work taking place.

The project’s scale and scope was enabled by a 2011 rezoning of the Fur District, opening the door to mixed-use residential buildings up to 210 feet in height. Since enacted, ground-up projects such as Chelsea29, a Passive House at 211 West 29th Street, and a through-block pair of buildings at 241 West 28th Street are breathing new life into the underutilized area. Just east of the Maverick site, developer GDSNY and its partner Klovern are building a ground-up 12-story office building at 322-326 Seventh Avenue. Excavation work is now well underway.

The rezoned blocks, between West 28th and 30th Streets, are primely situated south of Penn Station/Madison Square Garden, two avenues west of the High Line, and close to Whole Foods and FIT. An alphabet soup of subway/commuter lines can be had within walking distance.