Artists Fear Displacement as ChaShaMa Forced to Vacate Studios
The organization will lose half of its studio spaces to a tenant who wants to expand their footprint in the Brooklyn Army Terminal building.
A prominent arts organization, ChaShaMa, is facing the loss of half its studio space at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, resulting in the displacement of numerous artists who have resided there for over two decades. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) informed ChaShaMa in August to vacate its 20,000-square-foot section on the third floor of Building A by the end of October.
This move is necessitated by a neighboring tenant's desire to expand its operations into the shared area. The exact identity of the expanding tenant remains undisclosed by both ChaShaMa and the city.
ChaShaMa, a non-profit based in Midtown Manhattan, manages 107 studios across two buildings at 140 58th Street. Currently, they are in discussions with the city to lease another portion of Building B, which would provide an additional 70 studios, effectively consolidating their presence at the historic military facility. However, this relocation will displace 29 artists, many of whom have been ChaShaMa tenants in Sunset Park, Brooklyn since 2007. The nonprofit has requested these artists to clear their belongings before October 12.
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