In June 2025, permits were filed to demolish Chelsea Addition , a 14-story, 94-unit building at 441 West 26th Street that also houses the Hudson Guild Theater (“Hudson Guild”) offices and childcare services. More recently, permits were filed for a new 40-story tower to rise in its place. Ismael Leyva Architects is the architect of record, and the permits call for a total of 481 housing units to start on top of a community facility, presumably new offices for Hudson Guild. Another new tower is set to rise next to it in the next phase of construction, and the buildings’ ten-story wings will frame a common courtyard.
A lawsuit seeking to stop the city from demolishing public housing in Chelsea was savaged by a judge after he discovered it was written using generative AI.
The suit was brought by residents of the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea houses who acted as their own lawyers, and the legal filing cited cases that don’t exist, New York state Judge James d’Auguste said at a hearing in his courtroom Wednesday.
“The papers are garbage,” d’Auguste said, adding he would likely dismiss the case with prejudice, which means it can’t be refiled in the same court. He did not mention, though, when he would make his decision by.
They don’t know what they’re doing. I’ve been there. Even with legal advice you really need representation to hold your hand during this kind of thing.
A judge last week blocked the New York City Housing Authority from forcing two senior citizens to immediately vacate Chelsea apartments slated for demolition, a ruling that could delay the authority’s $2 billion plan to raze and rebuild the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses.
In a ruling handed down Friday, Judge Emily Morales-Minerva refused to order two seniors to leave. She said the housing authority “cites no authority for the ‘emergency’ relief requested, which involves forcing a NYCHA tenant to relocate for the purposes of updating an apartment with ‘modern amenities.’”
“Further,” she wrote, “[NYCHA] fails to explain how, if at all, not immediately making said updates to the subject apartment causes irreparable harm.”
A grandmother nearing 80 years old told Crain’s last week that waiting years for construction of a new apartment isn’t worthwhile at her age, and familiar surroundings are important to her. If she were moved, she would also miss her weekly mahjong tournaments with neighbors.
This photo taken near Chelsea Houses; sidewalk art by Paul Richard. I have notice his work at various locations around town; but mostly in the downtown areas of Chelsea, Soho, and Tribeca. He also has a variety of other favorite images such as spiders, rats, etc. - but skulls are clearly his favorite.
I hope so, he has been at this for a long time. I met him once, and recently spotted him riding the Ferry to Long Island City. I will post more of his street art to add to his much deserved notoriety.
