Class of 1958: Irwin Cohen

Irwin B. Cohen ’58 (1933–2023)
Irwin B. Cohen, who earned his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1958, was the developer who transformed the former National Biscuit Company plant in West Chelsea into Chelsea Market, an “exuberant 21st-century food bazaar” that helped revitalize the surrounding neighborhood. His reconfiguration of the 17-building Nabisco complex spurred the gentrification of West Chelsea, contributed to the redevelopment of the nearby meatpacking district, and, according to the New York Times, helped secure the success of the High Line. Before undertaking the Chelsea Market project, Cohen built his career managing factory buildings and working with early real-estate syndications.