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In New York City's booming real estate market, it's rare to find a neighbourhood that has yet to undergo a major transformation with a sharp increase in density. As urban intensification is reaching unprecedented levels, post-indutrial areas are among the last to offer large chunks of land that can be repurposed into offices, residences and public spaces. Manhattan's Far West Side, comprising parts of Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea, was rezoned from 28th to 43rd Streets and is now being redeveloped by The Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group Inc. as part of the $20 billion Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project.
This is the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States as well as the largest development project in New York City since the Rockefeller Center. There are more than 1,580,000 square metres of commercial, residential, cultural, office, hotel and public spaces in the works for the 28-acre site, as well as 14 acres of parks. Out of these 28 acres, 26 will be located atop the active West Side Yard, where 30 rail tracks are used to store trains travelling to and from the nearby Penn Station during off-peak hours. To achieve this, 300 concrete columns called caissons are being installed 80 feet below the active rail track, until they reach Manhattan's bedrock. Once the columns are in place, an incredibly thick and solid concrete slab is installed piece by piece, gradually covering the rail yards and forming a new ground level that serves as the foundation of the neighbourhood.
When complete, the structure will be made of 10,700 cubic metres of concrete and weigh approximately 35,000 tons, 25,000 of which will be steel. 23,000 construction workers are employed on the site that will eventually welcome more than 65,000 residents and employees when both phases are complete. Indeed, the 1,045,000 square-metre surface that is currently under construction is only the first phase of the project. The development of this portion of the site, boarded by 10th Avenue, 11th Avenue and West 30th to West 34th Streets, is slated for completion in 2019.
As part of phase one, an extension of the MTA's line 7 was recently opened, connecting Hudson Yards to Times Square and subway lines A, C, and E. Approved in 2007, this extension was deemed necessary for the development of the Far West Side. By 2019, three office towers and one mixed-used tower, respectively known as 10 Hudson Yards, 30 Hudson Yards, 55 Hudson Yards and 50 Hudson Yards as well as two residential towers at 15 Hudson Yards and 35 Hudson Yards will bring life to a historically quiet section of Manhattan.
Architecturally, Hudson Yards will be Manhattan's newest neighbourhood with futuristic, striking megastructures soaring to vertiginous heights. The highrises of phase one will top out at 392 metres, with two other towers at 326 and 300 metres high while the remaining three will stand at 278, 273 and 240 metres above ground. To support such density, amenities like a seven-storey mall with 100 restaurants, a cultural space, a retail pavilion with 20 stores, a 200-room hotel and extensive park space will be created. Also, in an effort to create an efficient place to live, work, and play, developers have integrated an innovative vacuum waste collection system. Waste will be collected through underground pneumatic tubes connected to every building, and transported to the 12th Avenue dispensary at a speed of 72 km/hour. Developed by Swedish company Envac, this technology will result in the complete absence of garbage trucks in and around Hudson Yards, a first in New York City.
Phase two of the project will include mostly residential components, taking in the views of the Hudson River and New Jersey. A 750-seat public school will anchor the residents into their new neighbourhood. Although very few details are available concerning phase two, additional information and renderings can be found in our dataBase files for each project of phase 1, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment using the space provided at the bottom of this page.
