252 Seventh Avenue (The Chelsea Mercantile)
252 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001
Chelsea
BBL 1007747501 · BIN 1014176
- Year built
- 1906
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 354
- Floors
- 21
- Flip tax
- None
- Financing
- No financing cap imposed by the condominium
- Subletting
- Permitted but board-regulated
- Pied-à-terre
- Permitted
- Pets
- Permitted
- Trust / LLC
- Entity ownership permitted
- Right of first refusal
- Yes
- Managing agent
- Rose Terra Management
Compiled by The Roebling Research Desk from the building’s offering plan, amendments, and related building documents (primary source dated 2018). Board policies can change by amendment — confirm at the offer stage.
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,557
- Listing discount
- 2.8%
- Recorded sales
- 438
- On record
- 2003–2026
The Chelsea Mercantile is one of the largest residential conversions of a commercial property in Chelsea — a 2000 Rockrose conversion of four structures originally erected 1906-1914 for the National Cloak and Suit Company. Its sheer 354-unit condominium scale places it among the largest conversions on the corridor, while a Whole Foods retail anchor defines the building's ground-floor commercial identity. The address has long drawn a trophy cultural resident roster — Katie Holmes, who rented a penthouse at $12.5K/mo during her 2012 Tom Cruise divorce, Penélope Cruz as a 10th-floor owner, Lance Bass, Marc Jacobs, and Nick Jonas among the rentals, plus Bobby Flay and Stephanie March, Kyle MacLachlan and Desiree Gruber, and designer Brian Atwood.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $301,353/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $71
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer the city requires to sign the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent). Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library.
See the full facade history →Management & transfer contacts
- Notable fees
- Pets OK upon approval; Pet Fee $250/month; Amenities Fee $1500 (1yr)/$3000 (2yr); Move-in/out $1,500-$2,500
Recent sales
Recent closings at this building, curated by The Roebling Team research desk. Apartment-level facts are independently verified before publishing; sale prices reflect the recorded transfer amount at the NYC Department of Finance.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2026 | 14G | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,605 sf | $2,800,000 | $1,745/sf | +0.0% |
| Apr 15, 2026 | 14I | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,202 sf | $3,500,000 | $1,589/sf | -21.5% |
| Apr 15, 2026 | 12Q | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,563 sf | $2,400,000 | $1,536/sf | -4.0% |
| Mar 24, 2026 | 16J | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,468 sf | $2,175,000 | $1,482/sf | -5.0% |
| Mar 20, 2026 | 15N | 3 BR · 2.5 BA · 2,028 sf | $4,250,000 | $2,096/sf | -15.0% |
| Feb 11, 2026 | 3K | 1 BR · 1 BA · 990 sf | $1,335,000 | $1,348/sf | -4.3% |
| Feb 10, 2026 | 14E | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,277 sf | $2,050,000 | $1,605/sf | -6.8% |
| Jan 16, 2026 | 12I | 2 BR · 3 BA · 2,202 sf | $3,375,000 | $1,533/sf | -5.9% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,557/sf across 9 sales. Median listing discount 2.8% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
Full closing history with price-per-square-foot over time, the complete retrade record, and every line that has traded.
Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-00774-7501) and verified listing data. Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified by The Roebling Team research desk. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price; square footage from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What to know if you’re buying
The 354-unit condominium scale is structurally distinguishing. Among the largest condominium conversions in Chelsea.
The Whole Foods retail anchor activates the building's commercial identity.
The cultural resident roster — Holmes, Cruz, Bass, Jacobs, Jonas — supports premium positioning.
The 1906-1914 original four-structure provenance with 2000 conversion produces real institutional context.
Standard condominium policy framework — pied-à-terre, subletting, LLC, trust, foreign buyer all permitted.
The exposed brick walls, beamed ceilings, and walk-in closets are real institutional interior credentials.
Comparable buildings
- London Terrace Towers (410 W 23rd) — Farrar & Watmough 1930; nearby Chelsea prewar peer
- Walker Tower (212 W 18th) — Walker / JDS 2014; nearby Chelsea trophy peer
- The Caledonia (450 W 17th) — Handel 2008; nearby Chelsea peer
- 100 Eleventh Avenue — Nouvel 2010; nearby Chelsea starchitect peer
- 245 Tenth Avenue — Della Valle Bernheimer 2010; nearby Chelsea peer
Sources: The Roebling Research Library (offering plans, house rules, financial statements, board minutes, internal transaction records); NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers; publicly recorded NYC building data.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Chelsea — read The Roebling Team Guide to Chelsea.
Considering a move at The Chelsea Mercantile?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at The Chelsea Mercantile would likely sell for today, what it costs to sell, and what you’d walk away with — reviewed personally against condition, exposures, renovation quality, and the competition actually on the market.