Restoration of Historic UWS Three Arts Club Building Breaks Ground
The restoration will offer housing to low-income seniors upon completion, preserving its history of providing affordable residences.
| 08 May 2026 | 03:17
The restoration of the Three Arts Club building began on May 8. (
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In 1927, the building was constructed and opened as housing and a community space for women in the arts, known as the Three Arts Club. (
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State Senator Erik Bottcher attended the restoration launch and offered his support for the project. “Over the generations, thousands of people have had their lives transformed, and because of this project, thousands of people into the future will have their lives transformed,” Bottcher said. (
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The project is anticipated to be completed in September 2027. (
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The preservation efforts have even extended to the furniture and decorations within the building. (
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The restoration is being conducted by the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, a nonprofit focused on providing affordable senior housing and care. (
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The restoration of the historic Three Arts Club building broke ground on May 8, progressing on plans to turn the building into housing for low-income seniors.
The restoration is slated for completion in September 2027. Once it is reopened, it will offer 61 affordable units, 40% of which have been set aside for formerly homeless individuals.
The construction began almost a decade after the eight-story building was bought by the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, (WSFSSH) a nonprofit focused on providing affordable senior housing and care. The organization says it seeks to honor the building’s history through the restoration.
The Three Arts Club, located at 340 W. 85th St., was designed by architect George B. de Gersdorff and constructed in 1927. For nearly a century, the building provided affordable housing to women.
“At a time when it was uncommon for women to live on their own, places like the Three Arts Club represented independence, ambition, and community,” said Nicole Marrocco, the Director of Real Estate Development for WSFSSH, at the launch for the restoration.
However, the building was at risk of being sold and converted to market-rate luxury housing before the organization acquired it in 2017, according to WSFSSH Executive Director Paul Freitag.
“WSFSSH has been through a long journey with this building,” Freitag said.
The new design was done by Curtis + Ginsberg Architects. WSFSSH also worked closely with the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority and the State Historic Preservation Office. The building will be both fully electric and more energy efficient upon completion.
The Three Arts Club building is a Colonial Revival landmark that has been well-maintained over the years. The restoration will preserve the building’s iconic common spaces, including the lobby, library, parlor, music hall, and dining room. Inside, crown molding, wood paneling, herringbone floors, and intricate sconces and chandeliers shed light on the building’s historic charm.
“This is an especially meaningful project because it brings together so many goals at once: One hundred percent affordable housing, climate-conscious design, and historic preservation,” Marrocco said.
City Council Member Gale Brewer and NYS Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, who both worked closely with WSFSSH to see the project through, shared their excitement at the launch. State Senator Erik Bottcher and Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal were also in attendance.
“These kinds of projects just don’t come together on their own,” Bottcher said. “This is so extraordinary how it’s been maintained, and the people who live here, in addition to the transformative programming, are gonna live in such dignity.”
When the building opened, it served as housing and a community space for women pursuing careers in drama, music, and the fine arts. Known as the Three Arts Club, the building saw the budding careers of hundreds of actresses, including Ruth Gordon and Florence Henderson.
In 1952, the club closed due to financial difficulties. The building continued to house women under the Brandon Residence for Women, which served students and working women. In 2017, the social services agency Volunteers of America sold the building to WSFSSH.