The Dia Art Foundation still has a foothold downtown, at 535 W. 22nd St., but all we talk about when we talk about the Dia:Chelsea these days is: poetry readings. Poetry readings, and the occasional lecture. The Dia hasn’t had display space in lower Manhattan since 2004, when it closed its pair of galleries in Chelsea because of issues with the space, or lack thereof. Last year, the foundation announced that it had bought the building at 541 W. 22nd, which, in combination with the existing building at 535 and the Dia’s old space at 541, will give the foundation a huge new space downtown, some fifteen thousand square feet of space – with another few thousand on the rooftop – and much more flexibility in the chaotic New York art world. Nothing’s planned in particular, not even the groundbreaking, until 2014, but barring any unforeseen catastrophes, the new building’s on track for a late 2016 opening. (FULL ARTICLE: Carol Vogel, The New York Times)