Scheetz mulls retail, bar, artist lofts for Hotel Chelsea

King & Grove’s Ed Scheetz, the new full owner of the Hotel Chelsea, has a vision for opening the historic property up to the public with a basement-level shopping gallery and bar, artists-in-residence program, and small “artists’ loft” bedrooms priced at $200 per night next to rooms for $1,000 per night.

“We want a community that is diverse — socioeconomically, age, everything,” Scheetz told the New Yorker. “We want young people that don’t have a lot of money to be able to experience it and interact with somebody who may have the greatest suite in the hotel.”

Scheetz recently settled a lawsuit with the building’s tenants association, which sued his former partners the Chetrit Group and David Bistricer over ongoing construction that at times forced water, heat and gas offline.

He told the New Yorker that he plans to preserve and honor the building’s history with the ongoing renovations, and to continue to have a residential component in the building even as the hotel and other community-accessible amenities come online. [New Yorker] — Julie Strickland