Opinions may differ on where the heart of New York is, but two developers have set out to make a 26-acre site on Manhattan's West Side a serious contender for the title. The developers, Related Cos. and Oxford Properties Group, have big plans for Hudson Yards, a $15-billion, mixed-use development that will be built on a platform over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) Eastern and Western rail yards. The project, which will span 10 to 12 years, is the largest undeveloped property in Manhattan and the largest private development in New York City since Rockefeller Center.
"Some people consider Rockefeller Center the heart of New York or midtown," says Jay Cross, president of Related Hudson Yards, which is leading Related's development efforts. "But there is enough scale to the [13-million-sq-ft project] that we can really shift the heart of New York."