5 Weird NYC Multifamily Conversions

Last week it came out that Hidrock Realty plans a multifamily conversion for Brooklyn’s Pavilion Theater. It's among a growing number of conversions where historic properties are finding new life as apartments. Here are five unusual projects leading the way.

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1. The Pavilion Theater

Former use: Movie theater. The developer says it wants to upgrade and shrink the theater and reopen it.

Neighborhood: Park Slope

Developer: Hidrock Realty

Units: 24

Total SF: A permit application calls for 46k SF.

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888 Main St

Former use: Insane asylum. The developer added on most of the property’s space. Only the building’s entrance was part of the original New York City Lunatic Asylum, opened in 1841.

Neighborhood: Roosevelt Island

Developer: Brue Becker

Units: 500

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3. 240 Centre St, aka the Police Building

Former use: Police HQ. This 1988 conversion came a couple of decades before the conversion craze really kicked off.

Neighborhood: Little Italy

Developer: Ehrenkranz Group & Eckstut

Units: 55

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4. 21 West 20th St

Original use: Parking garage (it actually still is a functioning garage). Gale International built the residential units above the garage by putting in reinforced steel beams to support it.

Neighborhood: Flatiron

Developer: Gale International

Units: 13

Total SF: 36k

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5. The Ridgewood Theater

Former use: We’ll give you three guesses.

Neighborhood: Ridgewood

Developer: Bashburg Properties

Units: 50

Total SF: Last summer, the Department of Buildings granted the developer’s application to convert the theater, which has a landmarked front façade.