New York Attorney General Approves Vanderbilt University’s Lease Deal in Chelsea

NEW YORK—Vanderbilt University announced today (Aug. 11) that the New York State Attorney General had granted the approval necessary to close on the lease of its new campus in New York City. The approval is a significant milestone in the agreement between Vanderbilt and the General Theological Seminary that will enable Vanderbilt to operate on the historic block in the heart of Chelsea.

The Chelsea campus spans nearly a full city block and encompasses 13 buildings on 2.7 acres. It is owned by the General Theological Seminary, an Episcopal seminary that dates to 1817. Vanderbilt signed a 99-year lease for the property last fall.

With this approval, Vanderbilt will move forward to assume stewardship of the campus buildings, advance site planning, facilities improvements, and deeper community engagement through the remainder of 2025 and beyond, according to a university spokesman. Pending approval from the Board of Regents, Vanderbilt is planning to welcome its first cohort of students to New York in the Fall of 2026.

“We’re grateful for the attorney general’s approval and the recognition of what Vanderbilt can uniquely contribute to higher education in New York,” Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. “A substantial presence in New York City will allow us to create new opportunities for our students, faculty and alumni in one of the most dynamic cities in the world. It will also enable us to foster deeper collaboration with the city’s unparalleled industries and cultural institutions. We could not be more enthusiastic about the possibilities, and the attorney general’s approval puts us a significant step closer to making them a reality.”

The university is exploring academic and non-academic initiatives on the campus. The next major regulatory milestone for Vanderbilt is receiving approval from the New York Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department to provide academic programming on the campus. Vanderbilt has submitted a proposal for NYSED review that includes an undergraduate study away program, which could be for one semester or part of a summer session, and a one-year master’s program. The NYSED application for academic programming was submitted by the Office of the Provost with input from a faculty advisory committee and faculty and deans across the schools and colleges.

“As a global university, Vanderbilt’s programs in New York will complement those offered at our home campus in Nashville as a ‘study-away’ site, creating a pipeline of graduates interested in careers in New York City reflective of its strengths and culture,” said Vanderbilt Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver. “The approval of our lease in Chelsea unlocks extraordinary possibilities for Vanderbilt’s academic and research endeavors. This campus will serve as a vibrant hub for discovery and collaboration that will enable students and faculty to immerse themselves in the rich intellectual and professional opportunities unique to New York City—particularly in fields like finance, tech, media and the arts. By building bridges between Nashville and New York, we are empowering our university community to make an even greater impact locally and globally.”

In March, Vanderbilt began hosting public programming on the campus, kicking off “Vanderbilt in the City: Conversations on America,” a three-event faculty and guest discussion series about what it means to be an American at this moment in history. The three events brought in more than 600 people, including alumni, Vanderbilt parents and community members. The lecture series will continue into the next academic year. Vanderbilt also recently named James Kellerhouse as assistant vice chancellor for strategic initiatives in New York City, reporting to Darren Reisberg, vice chancellor for administration.

With more than 7,800 alumni and 740 enrolled students, the New York region is home to Vanderbilt’s largest community outside Tennessee. The Chelsea campus will serve as a hub for the university’s NYC-based staff and strengthen Vanderbilt’s engagement with alumni, employers and prospective students in the Tri-State area. The campus is also expected to be a place where faculty can collaborate with their peers at other institutions and conduct research projects in the region.

Last September when the deal was announced, The General Theological Seminary stated that the lease deal with Vanderbilt will secure GTS’ presence on the “Close” campus for decades to come, see building improvements carried out, and enable the Seminary to expand its highly successful Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree and potentially introduce new programming. The lease arrangement is not a merger, and GTS will continue to operate as a separate entity with its own distinct identity and programming.

The Seminary will maintain a year-round presence at its home in Chelsea. The lease arrangement provides GTS with access to more than double the accommodation on the Close for students during its intensive weeks than is currently available, enabling the Seminary to expand the number of students in each cohort of the hybrid MDiv going forward. It also creates scope to introduce additional in-person programming on the campus.