NEW YORK CITY — The next step to making Manhattan's expansive Hudson Yards project a reality was reached last week when Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group entered into a contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to begin site preparation work. This stage of development will include the demolition of the site's vacant Metals Purchasing Building to make way for the construction of the project's first buildings.
Tishman Construction Co. will manage the demolition of the 60,000-square-foot building, which will take four months to complete. Related and Oxford are waiting for tenant commitments to begin construction of Hudson Yards' office component, which could come as early as 2012. The first building could be complete as early as 2015.
“We have seen a great deal of interest from large-scale corporate tenants and are excited to be taking the steps necessary to meet their aggressive timelines,” said Jay Cross, president of Related Oxford Hudson Yards, the joint venture affiliate developing the project, in a statement. “Hudson Yards will represent New York's premier mixed-use neighborhood, and we are progressing steadily.”
Hudson Yards represents a massive undertaking. The project is being constructed, in part, atop the Caemmerer Rail Yard, and the construction of a $1 billion platform will allow the rail yard to remain open during and after construction. At full build-out, Hudson Yards will contain 13 million square feet of commercial and residential space, which will include nine residential buildings containing 5,000 units, up to four large office buildings, a retail complex that will include a cinema and an 50,000-square-foot supermarket, a 300-room hotel, 100,000 square feet of cultural facilities, a conference center, a 750-student public school and 12 acres of public spaces.
Hudson Yards will include several sustainable features as well. Construction pollution will be minimized through particulate filters and water treatment systems. The finished project will include bike storage and showers as well as Zipcar services. The buildings will have green roofs, and a stormwater management system will contain runoff as well as treat it for use in building systems. The buildings will also contain high-efficiency systems including lights with occupancy and daylighting sensors, HVAC systems with CO2 sensors and underfloor air distribution.
The City of New York is also completing a major project in relation to Hudson Yards. The Number 7 subway line is being extended from Times Square to Hudson yards. The $2.1 billion project will also include the construction of a new station at the intersection of 34th Street and 11th Avenue. The grand opening is scheduled for 2014.
— Coleman Wood