More than 200 artists are facing displacement from their workplaces, as the future of an iconic Chelsea arts complex remains uncertain. 

Once a haven for artists, the 400,000 square-foot building at 508-534 West 26th St., also known as the Wolff Building, is now entangled in a drawn-out sales process. A few bidders have come forward to take over the property, including those in the non-profit sector who promise to keep the artists in place. But long-term tenants have their concerns with some making plans to leave ahead of being forced out, while others are determined to stay in Chelsea. 

“For me, it’s my community, period. It’s my home, it’s my home base,” said Arlene Rush, a conceptual multidisciplinary artist, who moved to the Wolff Building 30 years ago.

When philanthropist Raymond Naftali bought the sprawling property in the early 1970s, Chelsea was not a destination.

“Back then, the neighborhood was dominated by meatpacking, warehouses, rundown buildings, prostitution, drug dealing. It was not a place you wanted to go,” said Paul Michael Graves, an abstract artist who established his studio in the Wolff Building in 2019. “There were no galleries, nothing like what you see today.”

Initially, the building served as a space for various businesses, from garment to printing. But the Naftalis shared a deep dedication to the art community, which in the early 1990s prompted them to open the doors to artists and provide them with an affordable space to create. 

“Gloria and Raymond were unlike any other New York landlords. They made us feel like they had us covered,” said Graves. 

In Manhattan, affordability is rare. In May, Elliman Report recorded a new high median rent of $4,571 in the borough, an increase of 7.6% compared to last year. But for commercial loft spaces in Chelsea, prices fluctuate between $30 to $80 per square foot, according to Metro Manhattan Office Space. Graves said his studio is about 1,000 square feet at $48 per square foot.

Raymond Naftali died in 2003, while Gloria continued to support the vibrant art community they built together. In her will, Gloria Naftali expressed her wish to preserve the building’s artistic legacy but did not make it a legal requirement. 

After she passed in 2022, the family’s estate put the Wolff Building on the market for $170 million, catching its tenants off guard when they read about the sale in an article published last December in the Commercial Observer. 

Much like the radio silence that surrounded the building’s listing in December, its current status is shrouded in uncertainty.

So far, the only bidder to publicly discuss its proposal is Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, a nonprofit that supports artists. For the bid, the foundation partnered with Eagle Point Properties and Art State LLC. 

“We submitted a nonprofit stewardship proposal in May. To date, we haven’t received a response from the Naftali Foundation, and the community remains in a holding pattern,” said Anne-Brigitte Sirois, an expert in real estate development for the arts, who worked on the Elizabeth Foundation bid.

“We continue to explore options for the property that would allow us to preserve a substantial portion of the building for the artist community and gallery space.  We have not accepted any offers at this time,” Derek Wolman, the estate’s lawyer and a partner at Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron LLP, wrote in an email.

In the hands of the Elizabeth Foundation, the Wolff Building would retain its artistic character and keep its tenants. “The Wolff concentrates close to 200 studios, an uncommon density of authorship. That coherence is precisely what’s worth safeguarding,” said Sirois.  

City officials agree and have emphasized the essential role artists play in New York’s cultural and economic life. 

“The creative sector in New York City represents $110 billion in economic activity which is about 9% of the city’s overall economy and supports 300,000 jobs,” said Anne del Castillo, a senior policy advisor for the Department of Cultural Affairs. “There’s not much that the city can do. It’s not a city-owned property. But we can make it known that we’d like to see this space preserved for the artists.” 

The family estate released a statement about the sale. “We continue to explore options for the property that would allow us to preserve a substantial portion of the building for the artist community and gallery space. We have not accepted any offers at this time,” Derek Wolman, the estate lawyer and partner at Davidoff, Hutcher & Citron LLP, wrote in an email.

But the artists, themselves, aren’t letting go of their community easily. 

Scotto Mycklebust, a multimedia artist and one of the long-term tenants, founded the West Chelsea Building Artists Association, an advocacy group for the tenants. “I kind of took on the role of trying to save the building and trying to get the artist collectively together to have a voice,” he said. Around 75 members have joined so far with more invited to participate. 

Mycklebust is currently looking at different options, individually and with other artists. “I want to find out if I have to move tomorrow, where can I move? And how much is it going to cost me? I’d like to stay in the neighborhood,” he said. 

For veteran artists like Arlene Rush, the uncertainty feels deeply personal. 

“There aren’t many spaces in Manhattan for artists, and my life is in Manhattan,” said Rush. “I’m not interested in moving to Brooklyn. If I were younger, maybe, but I’m not. My doctors are here. Everything is here.”