James Corner Field Operations

On the site of what once was the world's biggest landfill, New York City's second-largest park is growing. On Sunday, Mayor Eric Adams announced the opening of the first public section of the new Freshkills Park on Staten Island. The 21-acre North Park area features new walking and cycling paths, an overlook deck, a bird-viewing tower, and connections to the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge.
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Gansevoort Peninsula at the southern edge with upland sandy bluff and “Day’s End.” Photo credit: Barrett Doherty

October 2, 2023

Manhattan’s first public ‘beach’ opens at Hudson River Park

Every borough in New York City now has a beach. Sort of. On Monday, the Gansevoort Peninsula officially opened at Little West 12th Street and 13th Avenue at Hudson River Park. The new 5.5-acre waterfront public park in the Meatpacking District includes a sandy beach with umbrellas, chairs, misting features, places to picnic, kayak access, and a rocky seating edge. But, unlike at other city beaches, swimming will not be allowed at Gansevoort Peninsula due to the Hudson River's polluted water. The green space is the largest standalone recreational space within the four-mile Hudson River Park.
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Architecture And Design

Elevated pathway connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall opens

Photos courtesy of © Andrew Frasz

June 21, 2023

Elevated pathway connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall opens

A new elevated pedestrian path connecting the High Line to Moynihan Tran Hall opens to the public this week. The 600-foot-long High Line-Moynihan Connector consists of two bridges, one full of lush landscape that runs along West 30th Street and another made of Alaskan yellow cedar wood that is suspended over Dyer Avenue. Officially opening on June 22, the $50 million project connects Manhattan West's public plaza to a pedestrian pathway at West 31st Street, allowing commuters to easily and safely access the train station and the rest of Midtown West.
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300-foot timber bridge connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall has been installed

All photos © 6sqft

May 11, 2023

300-foot timber bridge connecting the High Line and Moynihan Train Hall has been installed

The elevated pathway that will connect the High Line to the new Moynihan Train Hall hit a major milestone this week. The 260-foot-long timber bridge has been craned into place and is currently suspended 25 feet over Dyer Avenue. The new footbridge connects Manhattan West's public plaza Magnolia Court to a pedestrian pathway at West 31st Street, providing an easier way of accessing the Moynihan Train Hall without having to cross multiple streets. The timber bridge will link to the so-called Woodland Bridge, which will extend east from the existing northern terminus of the High Line. The new linear park, dubbed the High Line-Moynihan Train Hall Connector, is expected to open in late June.
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Lottery opens for 224 units at OMA’s zig-zagging Greenpoint towers, from $1,437/month

Rendering courtesy of Brookfield Properties and Park Tower Group

July 12, 2022

Lottery opens for 224 units at OMA’s zig-zagging Greenpoint towers, from $1,437/month

A housing lottery opened this week for 224 middle-income units at a new residential development on the Brooklyn waterfront. Located within the Greenpoint Landing development, Eagle+West offers luxury homes, incredible views, high-end amenities, and unparalleled waterfront access. New Yorkers earning 80, 125, and 130 percent of the area median income, or between $51,840 for a single person and $206,875 for a household of seven, can apply for the apartments, ranging from $1,437/month for studios to $3,397/month for three bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

With $50M redevelopment, MetroTech Center will become ‘Brooklyn Commons’

Rendering courtesy of Brookfield Properties

February 8, 2022

With $50M redevelopment, MetroTech Center will become ‘Brooklyn Commons’

Brookfield Properties today announced the rebranding of the MetroTech Center in Downtown Brooklyn to Brooklyn Commons. The $50 million redevelopment project aims to modernize the property through the renovation of several of the office buildings within the campus, upgrades to the central public park space, and a year-round arts and event program that will be free and open to the public.
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Real Estate Trends

All renderings: James Corner Field Operations and BIG- Bjarke Ingels Group

December 20, 2021

Plan for Bjarke Ingels-designed high-rises and public beach in Williamsburg is approved

Two massive high-rise towers with over 1,000 apartments and a resilient waterfront public park are officially coming to Williamsburg. The New York City Council last week voted to approve River Ring, a development planned for River Street between North 1st and North 3rd Streets on the Brooklyn waterfront. Developed by Two Trees Management, the project includes two mixed-use buildings designed by Bjarke Ingels Group that will hold 1,050 units of housing, with 263 of them priced below market rate, as well as a new YMCA and public park. Construction is expected to begin in 2024.
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See the elevated pedestrian pathway that will connect the High Line to Moynihan Train Hall

High Line Moynihan Connector, spur connection, © SOM, JCFO | Miysis

September 15, 2021

See the elevated pedestrian pathway that will connect the High Line to Moynihan Train Hall

Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled designs for a 1,200-foot-long elevated pedestrian pathway that will connect the High Line to the recently opened Moynihan Train Hall. The $50 million project will also connect Chelsea with other West Side destinations like Hudson Yards, Manhattan West, Penn Station, and the Javits Center. The plan was first floated by former Governor Andrew Cuomo in January as part of his extremely ambitious agenda to redevelop Midtown West. Under the direction of Governor Hochul, the pathway is expected to be completed by Spring 2023.
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Architecture And Design

Public art and cultural events planned for elevated terraces at revamped Grand Hyatt

Arts programming on 175 Park Avenue’s Graybar Terrace. Image credit: James Corner Field Operations. The artwork shown for illustrative purposes is “The Roses” by Will Ryman

June 2, 2021

Public art and cultural events planned for elevated terraces at revamped Grand Hyatt

The developers behind the huge tower that will replace the existing Grand Hyatt New York announced last week plans to open up its elevated terraces to the public for events. The Public Art Fund and Lord Cultural Resources will develop a cultural program that will bring art installations, community events, and other programs to 175 Park Avenue, the 83-story mixed-use building proposed by TF Cornerstone and RXR Realty.
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Plan for massive towers and public beach in Williamsburg moves ahead with new looks

The proposal to construct two mixed-use skyscrapers and a public beach on the North Brooklyn waterfront is moving forward, although with an updated design, timeline, and name. As first reported by Brooklyn Paper, Two Trees Management is preparing to start the city's uniform land use review procedure (ULURP) in the coming weeks for its project "River Ring," which includes two huge towers designed by Bjarke Ingels with more than 1,000 units of housing, a YMCA, and an environmentally-conscious park with a cove and beach.
Details this way

$70M plan to build Manhattan’s first public beach moves forward

Credit: James Corner Field Operations, courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust

February 5, 2021

$70M plan to build Manhattan’s first public beach moves forward

What at first appeared a lofty dream is now closer to reality. The Hudson River Park Trust on Thursday announced three requests for proposals for the construction of Manhattan's first public beach. The project includes a 5.5-acre public park on the Gansevoort Peninsula in the Meatpacking District that would be home to a resilient "beach" with kayak access, a sports field, scenic lounge spots, and a large public art installation.
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Architecture And Design

All renderings © James Corner Field Operations and BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, courtesy of Two Trees Management

December 12, 2019

Massive Bjarke Ingels-designed apartment towers and public beach planned for Williamsburg

Two new mixed-use towers with 1,000 units of housing and six acres of public space have been proposed for the North Brooklyn waterfront. Two Trees Management on Thursday unveiled plans to bring two Bjarke Ingels Group-designed buildings, one at 650 feet and the other at 600 feet, on River Street between North 1st and North 3rd Street in Williamsburg. The buildings, with Metropolitan Avenue running between them, will serve as an entrance to the new waterfront space, part of a master plan designed in collaboration with BIG and James Corner Field Operations. The park and public beach would close the gap between Grand Ferry Park and North Fifth Park, eventually providing continuous access to the East River between South Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
Check out the whole project

Construction breaks ground for Greenpoint Landing’s OMA-designed towers

Rendering courtesy of OMA/ nuur.nu

November 20, 2019

Construction breaks ground for Greenpoint Landing’s OMA-designed towers

By Alexandra Alexa

Construction is now underway on the next phase of development at Greenpoint Landing, which includes one acre of additional public waterfront space designed by James Corner Field Operations and two new residential towers designed by Rem Koolhaas’ international architecture firm, OMA. In addition to 745 units of mixed-income housing, the new towers will also add 8,600 square feet of ground-floor retail.
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Renderings revealed for Manhattan’s first public ‘beach’

Credit: James Corner Field Operations, courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust

July 25, 2019

Renderings revealed for Manhattan’s first public ‘beach’

The Hudson River Park Trust unveiled on Wednesday a preliminary concept for its plan to bring a public beach to Manhattan. The Meatpacking District site, known as the Gansevoort Peninsula, measures about 5.5 acres on the waterfront and formerly served as a parking lot for the city's sanitation department. The new park will feature a beach area with kayak access, a sports field, a salt marsh, and areas to picnic and lounge.
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Architecture And Design

New renderings revealed for Greenpoint Landing’s OMA-designed towers

Rendering courtesy of Brookfield Properties and Park Tower Group.

March 7, 2019

New renderings revealed for Greenpoint Landing’s OMA-designed towers

Developers Brookfield Properties and Park Tower Group have unveiled the next phase of development in the massive Greenpoint Landing waterfront project, including an addition to the public waterfront esplanade designed by James Corner Field Operations and mixed-income housing designed by OMA, the architecture firm founded by Rem Koolhaas. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer on the two new towers and an adjacent seven-story building that will bring the total number of units in the project to 745, of which 30 percent will be affordable.
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Manhattan will get its first public beach at Hudson River Park

Image by Max Guliani, courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust

February 1, 2019

Manhattan will get its first public beach at Hudson River Park

By Alexandra Alexa

The Hudson River Park Trust has unanimously approved a proposal by James Corner Field Operations—the same firm that brought us the High Line and Brooklyn’s Domino Park—to design a 5.5-acre public park on the Gansevoort Peninsula, located at the western end of Little West 12th Street and the only remnant of 13th Avenue. It will be the largest single green space in the four-mile-long Hudson River Park. The design will incorporate recreational areas and provide direct waterfront access for the public with a beachfront on the southern edge that will double as a protective barrier to combat flooding and storm surge. The beach might be best for sunbathers, though, as swimming in Manhattan’s murky west side waters is unlikely to be viable.
Get the details

Architecture And Design

Photo credit: Daniel Levin

June 6, 2018

REVEALED: First look at Williamsburg’s Domino Park ahead of Sunday opening

Two Trees Management announced today that Domino Park, the long-awaited new waterfront recreational public space at the 11-acre Domino Sugar Factory site, will celebrate its grand opening this Sunday, June 10. In April, 6sqft revealed renderings of the new park and esplanade that will anchor the three-million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development at the Domino Sugar Factory site, designed by James Corner Field Operations (of the High Line fame). The quarter-mile long public park, located just north of the Williamsburg Bridge, celebrates the history of one of the city's most iconic industrial waterfront sites with adaptively reused syrup tanks, warehouse columns, and original cranes (now painted the park's signature turquoise color "untealed"). There will also be a taco kiosk from Danny Meyer, a water feature, bocce courts, and a children's playground designed by Mark Reigelman as a reinterpretation of the original factory.
Check out industrial artifacts, water features and more

April 5, 2018

REVEALED: New renderings of Domino Sugar Factory’s waterfront park and esplanade

Almost a year to date since the first renderings were revealed for Domino Park, the 11-acre park and waterfront esplanade that will anchor the three-million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development at the Domino Sugar Factory site, a new batch of views has been released by developer Two Trees, and they showcase everything from an urban "beach" to a better look at how preserved artifacts from the historic factory will be incorporated throughout. Designed by James Corner Field Operations (of the High Line fame), the park is scheduled to open this summer, ahead of most of the buildings.
All the renderings and details ahead

Construction Update: SHoP’s first Domino Sugar Factory building approaches completion

Image by CityRealty

August 23, 2017

Construction Update: SHoP’s first Domino Sugar Factory building approaches completion

By Diane Pham

Just over one year ago, 6sqft reported on the initial climb of 325 Kent Avenue, the first tower of the SHoP-designed Domino Sugar Refinery master plan slated for the Williamsburg waterfront. Now, CityRealty shares that the building is nearly finished with its distinct, upside-down U-formation standing tall. When complete, the 189-foot, 400,000-square-foot building will be the second largest residential structure in the neighborhood (just after 2 North 6th Street), fronted by a spectacular 11-acre park designed by James Corner Field Operations that will open next summer.
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Second building in Domino Sugar megaproject to break ground next month; new renderings

260 Kent; rendering courtesy of COOKFOX

April 27, 2017

Second building in Domino Sugar megaproject to break ground next month; new renderings

Two Trees Management will break ground next month on 260 Kent Avenue at the corner of Grand Street and Kent Avenue, the second building to rise at the Domino Sugar Williamsburg megaproject site. Designed by COOKFOX Architects, the 462,000 square-foot, 42-story mixed-use tower on the site of the former sugar manufacturing facility will create "a prominent visual corridor that leads to the East River waterfront," according to a press release.
Find out more, more renderings this way

April 20, 2017

First look at Domino Sugar Factory’s 11-acre park and waterfront esplanade

With building construction well under way at the Domino Sugar Factory site, Two Trees Management has now released details about the 11-acre park that will anchor the three-million-square-foot Williamsburg mega-development. To be known as Domino Park and designed by James Corner Field Operations, the quarter-mile open space will boast a new waterfront esplanade, six acres of parkland, a plethora of preserved artifacts, and easier waterfront access. In addition to sharing several new renderings, Two Trees also announced that the park will open in the summer of 2018.
All the details and renderings ahead

November 28, 2016

Live in SHoP’s Domino Sugar Refinery tower for $596/month, lottery open for 104 units

Earlier this fall, the first building at Two Trees’ three million-square-foot Domino Sugar Refinery mega-development topped out. The 16-story, $200 million tower at 325 Kent Avenue was designed by SHoP Architects, the same firm responsible for the entire Williamsburg project's master plan, and features a two-winged scheme with a central courtyard. It'll hold a whopping 522 rental units, 104 of which will be reserved for individuals earning 40 percent of the area media income. As of today, these affordable apartments are up for grabs through the city's housing lottery, where availability ranges from $596/month studios to $979/month two-bedrooms.
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Affordable Housing

April 21, 2016

First Domino Sugar Refinery Tower at 325 Kent Avenue Now Rising Above Williamsburg

By Ondel Hylton

After breaking ground last spring, the first tower of Two Trees' three million-square-foot Domino Sugar Refinery Master Plan has finally lifted out of the ground. Addressed 325 Kent Avenue (Site E), the 400,000-square-foot building rises one block inland from the East River waterfront and the remaining five parcels of the master plan. The future 16-story, 189-foot-tall project covers three-quarters of its block bound by Kent and Wythe Avenues and South 3rd and 4th Streets. All in all, the two-winged tower will hold a whopping 522 rental units, making it the second largest residential building in Williamsburg after the also-in-construction 2 North 6th Street.
Find out more about the development

January 22, 2016

SOM Architects Reveal New Renderings of Hudson Yards-Adjacent Manhattan West Towers