- Year built
- 1996
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 30
- Floors
- 6
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pets permitted under the condominium rules
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2001–2025
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $2,400
- Listing discount
- 4.0%
- Recorded sales
- 40
- On record
- 2001–2025
525 West 22nd Street, the Spears Building, is one of the authentic loft conversions that defined West Chelsea before the High Line opened and the glass towers arrived. The building began as a masonry warehouse on the elevated freight line that is now the High Line — the structure once took deliveries directly off the rail viaduct. The 1996 conversion by architect Arpad Baksa turned roughly 130,000 square feet of warehouse into 30 loft residences, preserving the heavy brick walls, arched openings, and exposed steel-and-timber structure that give the building its industrial character.
The location is the heart of the West Chelsea gallery district. The building sits among the major galleries on West 22nd Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, with the High Line at its doorstep and the Hudson River views from its roof deck. Buyers here are choosing genuine loft volume and pre-tower industrial provenance over the amenity packages and floor-to-ceiling glass of the newer condominiums a few hundred feet away.
This is a loft building in the true sense — large, open floor plates, real ceiling height, and the structural texture of the original warehouse. That product is increasingly scarce on the corridor as new construction has dominated supply, and it draws a buyer specifically attracted to that aesthetic.
Architecture and unit composition
The Spears Building's residences are lofts: open plans, high ceilings, oversized windows in the original arched and rectangular openings, and the exposed brick and steel of the warehouse structure. The conversion preserved the building's industrial bones rather than erasing them, which is the building's defining appeal. Residences vary in size and configuration — some are full-floor or near-full-floor lofts — and renovation quality varies unit to unit, since owners have customized over the building's three decades as a condominium.
The six-story scale and 30-unit count keep the building intimate, and the furnished common roof deck with Hudson River views is the principal shared amenity.
Building operations
525 West 22nd Street operates as a boutique loft condominium with a part-time door attendant, a superintendent, a furnished common roof deck, bicycle storage, and private storage. The amenity level is deliberately light — this is a loft building, not a full-service tower — and common charges reflect that. Buyers should review the building's reserves and any capital-improvement history during due diligence, which is prudent for any masonry warehouse conversion now decades into its residential life.
Recent sales
As a condominium, the Spears Building prices on a price-per-square-foot basis, with loft volume, floor, light, and outdoor access driving the number. Turnover is low — 30 owner-customized lofts whose holders tend to stay. Resale inventory surfaces intermittently, and because each residence is distinct, apartment-level context matters more than any building average: floor plate size, ceiling height, exposure, the integrity of the loft character, and the quality of any renovation. The authentic-loft aesthetic supports pricing for residences that have kept their industrial character intact.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 9, 2025 | 2F | 3 BR · 3 BA · 3,000 sf | $7,200,000 | $2,400/sf | -4.0% |
| Jul 21, 2025 | 2B | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,196 sf | $2,500,000 | $2,090/sf | -5.7% |
| May 9, 2024 | 5 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 2,956 sf | $4,350,000 | $1,472/sf | -17.1% |
| Mar 15, 2024 | 2F | 3 BR · 3 BA · 3,000 sf | $6,400,000 | $2,133/sf | -5.2% |
| Nov 28, 2023 | PHC | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,784 sf | $5,900,000 | $3,307/sf | off-mkt |
| Sep 20, 2022 | PHE | 3 BR · 2 BA · 2,244 sf | $3,850,000 | $1,716/sf | -2.5% |
| Aug 31, 2022 | PHB | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,546 sf | $3,067,500 | $1,984/sf | -5.6% |
| Aug 23, 2021 | 4B | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,200 sf | $2,475,000 | $2,063/sf | -0.8% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $2,400/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount 4.0% 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.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 13, 2012 | 5D | $4,340,000 |
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 1-00694-7501) 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
This is a genuine loft building. Open plans, real ceiling height, exposed brick and steel. That product is scarce on the corridor; price the authenticity.
Amenities are light by design. Part-time door attendant, roof deck, storage. If you want a full-service tower with a pool and spa, the newer condominiums nearby serve that brief.
Diligence on the warehouse structure applies. Review reserves, recent financials, and any capital plan — standard for a masonry conversion of this vintage.
Condo flexibility is real. Pied-à-terre, subletting, foreign buyers, and LLC/trust ownership are permitted under the declaration; closings run on condo timelines.
Mansion tax thresholds apply. At this building's pricing, the $1M, $2M, and $5M cliffs are routinely in play. Run pricing through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
Variable board financial policy — confirm at offer stage. Financing percentages and any sublet terms specific to your situation should be confirmed in writing before you commit.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the loft authenticity and the High Line location. The original warehouse character and the gallery-district address are the story.
Pricing requires apartment-level comps. With 30 distinct lofts and thin turnover, comparable selection is delicate — floor plate, ceiling height, light, and renovation quality all move the number.
Condition and loft integrity matter. Buyers here want the industrial character; renovations that preserve it tend to price better than those that erase it.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 525 West 22nd Street, also evaluate:
- 245 Tenth Avenue — Della Valle Bernheimer 2010; nearby High Line boutique condominium
- 519 West 23rd Street — Lindy Roy 2008; nearby boutique High Line condominium
- 515 West 23rd Street (HL23) — Neil Denari 2011; nearby architectural High Line condominium
- 100 Eleventh Avenue — Jean Nouvel 2010; nearby West Chelsea architectural condominium
- 520 West 28th Street — Zaha Hadid 2017; nearby West Chelsea architectural condominium
The Roebling Team at The Spears Building
The Roebling Team at Compass works the full West Chelsea market, including its authentic loft conversions and its new-construction towers. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers of true loft inventory deserve building-level intelligence — provenance, operational reality, and apartment-level pricing context — rather than generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 525 West 22nd Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point. We'll bring the full context this page provides plus the transactional specifics your situation requires.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Chelsea — read The Roebling Team Guide to Chelsea.
Get the full picture on this building.
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