Construction is underway on Manhattan’s largest undeveloped property site, the 10.5-hectare (26-acre) Hudson Yards. The mixed-use development has been master-planned by architects Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) with developers Related Companies and Oxford Properties. The site will house 15 new buildings, making 1.2m sq m of commercial and residential development, most of which will be built on platforms over two working rail yards. The Eastern Rail Yard will include two dedicated office buildings, the 47-storey South Tower and the 70-storey North Tower designed by KPF, and another, the 60-storey East Tower designed by David M. Childs/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with office, residential and retail units. The masterplan also includes a large cultural hub, a major subway extension, a school and 5.5 hectares (14 acres) of open space and parks.
The development is thought to be costing around $15bn, with 30,000 people working and 10,000 people living in the new West Side district. The South Tower, due to be completed in 2014, is the first building to break ground; it will be integrated with the final extension of the High Line park.
