BY ROBERT POZARYCKI | The first phase in the development of Manhattan’s newest neighborhood, Hudson Yards, has earned high environmental marks for its self-sufficient construction.
Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group celebrated on Sept. 25 news that the Eastern Yard development received “LEED Neighborhood Development” Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The award recognizes the area’s green infrastructure, community design and overall innovation.
“Building a neighborhood from the ground up in the heart of New York City gave us the opportunity to create a blueprint for the future of sustainable urban living,” said Hudson Yards President L. Jay Cross. “Being designated as the first LEED Gold neighborhood in Manhattan underscores our commitment to responsible urban design, building a greener future for New Yorkers, and establishing new benchmarks for cities globally.”
Hudson Yards is being built over the West Side Railyard as a city within the city, operating on a microgrid powered by two modern cogeneration plants. The efficient electrical system is said to save 25,000 megatons of carbon dioxide emissions annually; Related Companies said that’s equal to the annual emissions of 5,100 cars.
The development also includes a stormwater reuse system in which rainfall is collected from rooftops and public spaces, stored in a 60,000-gallon tank and then pumped through an irrigation system to water more than 200 trees and 28,000 plants in the neighborhood’s Public Square and Gardens.
Hudson Yards’ park is also considered the “smartest park” in the city, with a layered approach to root growth, nutrient delivery, temperature regulation, irrigation and drainage.
Once completed, according to Related Companies, Hudson Yards will include more than 1,000 units of newly-created or preserved affordable housing along with tens of thousands of jobs within its commercial and business spaces. It’s expected to pump nearly $19 billion annually into the city’s economy, and generate $1 billion in city and state tax revenue.
