Gallery gets to the art of the action in Chelsea tower.

Grubb & Ellis Company announced that Marlborough Gallery has purchased the full first and second floors of Chelsea Arts Tower, 545 West 25th St., a 20-story commercial condominium designed for galleries and arts-related businesses, going up in West Chelsea.

The developers of the project are Young Woo Associates and Jack Guttman; Alan Weisman and Stuart Siegel of Grubb & Ellis are the exclusive sales representatives for the property.

Although a sales price was not disclosed, asking prices for the ground floor were $5,146,000 and $4 million for the second floor.

Marlborough Gallery will relocate Marlborough Chelsea to the soon-to-be-completed arts tower. It joins a growing list of important gallery owners and major collectors who have acquired space in the building.

Private collectors Adam Lindemann and Glenn Furhman have already bought floors, as has Tina Kim Fine Art. Only eight floors are still available in the building, which is scheduled for completion in August 2006.

"We were considering relocating and when Stuart and Alan came to us with their concept of a building built especially for galleries in what has become the new art center of New York, we were more than intrigued," says Pierre Levai, President of Marlborough New York. "The concept of owning our own space in such a unique building made it especially exciting for us."

Siegel added, "Over many months, we refined the design with input from numerous gallery owners to make sure it met all criteria a gallery owner could possibly want."

Chelsea Arts Tower features floor plates that run about 4,100 s/f on the base gallery floors and about 3,500 s/f on the upper floors, with 11-foot clear ceiling heights and three high-speed elevators.

Marlborough Gallery will occupy approximately 10,000 s/f, including a dramatic sculpture terrace. Interior architecture of the new Marlborough space will be designed by acclaimed architect and artist Thierry Despont. Pictures of the building, construction progress, floor plans and renderings can all be viewed at www.chelseaartstower.com.

Chelsea Arts Tower--offering the option for galleries and other creative companies the ability to buy their own spaces--is the first of its kind in West Chelsea. The project has been so successful that the developers, Woo and Guttman, are considering another industry-specific new development in a location yet to be disclosed.

As more and more galleries move to West Chelsea, they attract more galleries vying for space in the district. "There are over 260 galleries in West Chelsea now," notes Siegel.

"The West 20s are the epicenter of the contemporary art market today. It's better for business and only heightens the attraction of the area." Most of the galleries are located between 20th to 28th streets between 10th and 11th avenues, and designer clothing boutiques, clubs and restaurants are moving to the area as well. According to Alan Weisman, "West Chelsea has become a destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike--and that will be good not just for the art business but for all businesses in the neighborhood."

Founded in London in 1946, Marlborough Gallery is widely recognized as one of the world's leading modern and contemporary art dealers, with galleries in London, New York, Madrid, Monaco and Santiago, Chile.

Marlborough Gallery will maintain its midtown location at 40 West 57th St., New York; Marlborough Gallery is scheduled to open in Chelsea Arts Tower in spring 2007.