Construction has begun on a 123‑year‑old Upper West Side church, converting it into the expanded Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM). The project, led by Shawmut Design and Construction, will thread seven new floors through the historic Beaux Arts shell and double the museum’s capacity by 2028. Preservationists and museum planners alike are watching the complex adaptive‑reuse effort for clues on how New York balances growth with heritage.

Seven New Floors Inside a 19th‑Century Beaux Arts Shell

The core engineering challenge is to insert a seven‑story steel frame within the church’s cavernous volume without compromising its barrel‑vaulted ceiling, arched windows, or iconic steeple. mary Mahany, senior project executive at Shawmut, says the team is "delicately threading the new structure through the building while preserving its overall architecture." The interior work began with a cellar‑level steel frame and concrete slabs that will rise through the sanctuary, while the existing masonry is shored and stabilized with a new foundation.

Digital Tools Guard Against Historic Surprises

To meet the strict requirements of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, Shawmut is using Matterport 3D scanning, OpenSpace 360‑degree photo documentation, and detailed digital modeling. According to the report, these tools allow real‑time logistics planning and help the crew anticipate hidden conditions that often derail historic renovations. Scaffolding now encloses the white granite façade for cleaning and restoration, ensuring the exterior remains pristine throughout construction.

FXCollaborative and THG Creative Design the Museum Experience

Architect FXCollaborative, together with exhibit designers THG Creative, is shaping the new museum’s programmatic spaces: interactive exhibition areas, a performance hall, a café, a museum store, and a rooftop terrace. The design exploits the church’s tall arched windows to flood the interior with natural light, creating an environment that supports early‑childhood learning through play. As the source notes, the project represents CMOM’s first expansion in more than four decades.

Historic Adaptive Reuse Echoes Shawmut’s Recent 100‑Year‑Old Landmark Project

Shawmut’s experience with complex adaptive reuse includes a recent undertaking that inserted a modern structure beneath a 52‑story tower atop a 100‑year‑old landmark. That precedent informs the current effort, demonstrating the contractor’s ability to blend new functions with protected civic monuments. Observers see this as a test case for future New York projects that must reconcile vertical growth with preservation mandates.

Who Will Operate the New Museum Spaces?

While the construction details are clear, the source does not identify the future management team for the museum’s expanded amenities, such as the rooftop terrace or performnce space.. Stakeholders are also waiting for confirmation on the exact timeline for public opening, beyond the broad 2028 completion target.