Elijah Equities, LLC has unveiled plans for the redevelopment of The Warehouse in New York City, a property currently occupied by car parking and art galleries, which will be transformed into 100,000 square feet of rentable office and retail space designed by Morris Adjmi.

Situated next to the High Line, the building currently at the site is a four-story, 65,000-square-foot former apparel-manufacturing warehouse. The redevelopment will add a three-story, steel-framed, cantilevered addition, resulting in a seven-story building with over 18,000 square feet of rooftop and outdoor amenity space.

Elijah Equities Principal James Haddad has personal ties to the existing building, as his grandfather founded the clothing firm that occupied the original space. “We have owned this property for decades, and it was once the hub of our apparel company,” explained Haddad. “Permissible zoning allowed us the freedom to do many things on the site, including demolish it completely and convert it to residential condominiums for sale, which is a route many others in the neighborhood have chosen. However, that would mean ultimately destroying and divesting the building, and our own personal histories are too intertwined with these bricks; we just couldn’t let that happen. Instead, we collectively opted to stay true to The Warehouse’s heritage and commercial roots, keeping the bones of the property and adding a modern expansion that complements the original brick-and-mortar base.”

Additionally, the rear of the building will be reconfigured, allowing for the elimination of columns, and the addition of larger windows, open floor plans, and ample outdoor space. Part of the restructured base of the building will also include a new dual-core system to house the stairwells, elevators, and bathrooms, opening up even more space.

“My intent was to capture the spirit of the original warehouse and develop a creative tension between the powerful brick-and-mortar base and the elegant new steel-and-glass addition,” noted Morris Adjmi. “I wanted to connect these two beautiful structures without simply fusing them together. The new steel-and-glass element bridges between the structural elevator and stairway cores creating the sense that it floats above the original building. The upshot of this design is the abundant outdoor spaces that draw parallels directly from the adjacent High Line Park.”

Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2017, with occupancy slated for the first quarter of 2019.

The design has also been presented via a virtual reality tour created by VR Global. To see the tour, click here, or learn more about the project here.

By SABRINA SANTOS