The New Haven City Plan Commission has unanimously approved the conversion of the historic John Slade Ely House into 10 studio apartments. The Elizabethan mansion, which served as a prominent local arts hub since 1961, was most recently home to the Ely Center of Contemporary Art before the organization vacated the property in December 2025. The redevelopment plan by G.L. Capasso includes preserving the building's exterior while creating small residential units, including one designated affordable housing unit.
The closure and conversion of this long-standing venue represent a significant loss for the New Haven arts community, marking the end of an era for a building that hosted various arts organizations for over six decades. While the Ely Center has relocated to a temporary space at CitySeed’s headquarters, the transition highlights the ongoing challenges local non-profit art spaces face regarding property ownership and rising real estate pressures. The project reflects a broader trend of repurposing historic institutional buildings into high-density urban housing.