Governor Hochul Unveils Winning Proposal to Transform Underutilized Hell's Kitchen Site Near Intrepid Museum into Vibrant Mixed-Use Development With More Than 1,100 New Homes

Governor Kathy Hochul today unveiled the selected proposal to redevelop 621 West 45th Street, a State-owned parcel in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan currently used as the surface parking lot for the Intrepid Museum. The proposal — from a development team led by The Gotham Organization, Fisher Brothers, and MURAL Real Estate Group — would transform one of the largest undeveloped parcels on Manhattan's far West Side into 1,127 new homes, expand the Intrepid Museum's public campus and strengthens the neighborhood's existing waterfront assets with new publicly accessible open space.

“The far West Side of Manhattan has a storied history as a vibrant, inclusive community, and this proposal will carry that legacy forward by building for a more affordable future,” Governor Hochul said. “By transforming a State-owned parking lot into more than 1,100 new homes — with hundreds of permanently affordable units and homeownership opportunities — we are taking direct aim at the housing shortage while strengthening one of New York's great cultural institutions. This is what's possible when we put State land to work for the people of New York.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “The proposal shows what's possible when we reimagine an underused State asset to meet New Yorkers' most pressing needs. This proposal delivers affordable housing at the scale the moment demands, creates good-paying jobs, expands a beloved cultural institution and builds on the neighborhood’s existing waterfront assets by introducing new publicly accessible open space. Empire State Development looks forward to working with the development team and state and local partners to advance a project that honors the legacy of the Intrepid and strengthens the future of Hell's Kitchen.”

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “NYSDOT is proud to play a role in support of Governor Hochul’s unprecedented investment in housing and infrastructure across New York State. This visionary project on West 45th Street, along the Hudson River, illustrates the Governor’s commitment to addressing the housing and affordability needs of New Yorkers. In addition, the project is going to be built on land currently owned by NYSDOT, and deliver much-needed open public space to the community and an enhanced visitors’ experience on the waterfront for the not-to-be-missed Intrepid Museum.”

The development will rise on the approximately 50,584-square-foot site along the east blockfront of Twelfth Avenue between West 45th and West 46th Streets that is currently used as a parking lot, directly across from the Intrepid Museum and steps from Hudson River Park.

The proposal calls for two connected towers and a total of 1,127 homes serving a broad range of New Yorkers. 338 of those homes — 30 percent of all units — would be affordable, serving individuals and families earning between 40 and 130 percent of Area Median Income. The proposal also includes a significant share of middle-income housing affordable to teachers, nurses and first responders, along with a for-sale condominium component that includes income-restricted ownership units.

The development would also deliver new neighborhood retail space and replacement parking for the Intrepid Museum, fully phased so that Museum parking remains uninterrupted throughout construction.

Beyond housing, the project would extend the Intrepid Museum's public presence eastward across the West Side Highway through a new Intrepid Concourse — a roughly 22,000-square-foot community facility for the Museum that includes a new visitor's center, a STEM education hub and a café. The proposal also creates Intrepid Park, an approximately 9,800-square-foot public open space connected to the Museum's sky bridge, offering landscaped space for programming, events and Hudson River views for residents and visitors alike.

The development team — which includes MURAL Real Estate Group as a certified MWBE — has committed to robust participation by Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses and to local hiring throughout construction and operations. The team has also committed to remediating the site, historically part of a manufactured gas plant, to the highest environmental standards, including by pursuing enrollment in the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program.

Representative Jerry Nadler said, “I've long supported redeveloping this site, and this proposal delivers on that vision. More than 1,100 new homes — including 338 affordable units for families earning 40 to 130 percent of Area Median Income, with housing affordable to the teachers, nurses, and first responders who keep this city running. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her leadership in bringing this project forward. I'm glad this plan strengthens the Intrepid Museum's presence rather than displacing it, adding a new visitor's center, STEM hub and public park while preserving the Museum's parking and pedestrian bridge access throughout construction. This is a smart use of one of the last large undeveloped parcels on the far West Side.”

State Senator Erik Bottcher said, “This proposal would transform an underutilized site into a significant new source of housing for New Yorkers, delivering 1,127 new homes, including 338 affordable units serving households across a broad range of incomes. The development would also create affordable homeownership opportunities, add publicly accessible open space, expand educational and cultural amenities connected to the Intrepid Museum and support local jobs. By increasing housing supply while investing in community assets, this project represents the type of thoughtful development needed to help address New York’s housing affordability challenges and strengthen the West Side for current and future residents. I want to thank Governor Hochul, Assembly Housing Chair Linda Rosenthal, Community Board 4 and everyone else who helped make this possible.”

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said, “Building more housing is an absolute must. For years, I have been urging our federal, state and local governments to prioritize the building of affordable housing on vacant lots, and I am grateful that Governor Hochul heeded the call. The addition of over 1,000 new apartments to my Manhattan Assembly district, 30 percent of which will be affordable to New Yorkers, is welcome news to the many who are struggling to stay financially afloat in the City. I am proud to have partnered with Manhattan Community Board 4, the Intrepid and local stakeholders to ensure this project becomes a reality, and as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing, I will continue the fight to build more projects such as this, preserve our existing affordable housing stock and protect all those living on the brink of eviction in New York.”

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “Manhattan is facing a historic housing crisis that demands urgent action. I’m thrilled Governor Hochul is backing the transformation of an underutilized lot in Hell’s Kitchen into over 1,100 new apartments, including 338 affordable units. On top of creating severely needed housing, I’m pleased to see this site will expand the Intrepid Museum campus, while also creating a new public park for all Manhattanites to enjoy. I look forward to continuing working in partnership with Governor Hochul, Empire State Development, my elected colleagues and Community Board 4, to help deliver more housing for Manhattanites.”

New York City Council Member Carl Wilson said, “This proposal represents an incredible opportunity to combat our housing crisis by turning underutilized public land into new homes, including hundreds of permanently affordable apartments. This is being done while also expanding our shared public spaces and our waterfront. This site has been little more than a parking lot in the heart of Hell's Kitchen for far too long. We need bold projects like this that deliver homes for working families, support good-paying union jobs, and strengthen our neighborhoods. I look forward to working with the Governor, the development team, and our community to ensure this project reflects the needs and priorities of Hell's Kitchen and the West Side.”

Gotham Organization Principal and CEO David Picket said, “Gotham has spent decades partnering with government, community organizations, and mission-driven institutions on the West Side of Manhattan to deliver housing that serves New Yorkers across the income spectrum, and this project builds on that legacy. This transformative development will deliver hundreds of permanently affordable homes, including homes for veterans and opportunities for middle-income homeownership, while creating a dynamic civic destination that benefits both residents and the surrounding neighborhood. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her leadership and commitment to expanding housing opportunities, and we look forward to working alongside our partners to bring this bold vision to life.”

Fisher Brothers Partner Winston Fisher said, “This project reflects what is possible when public leadership and the private-sector partnership come together to create lasting value for New Yorkers. The Intrepid Museum has long held a special place for the Fisher family and we are proud to have been selected, alongside our partners, to reimagine this dynamic site. Governor Hochul's ambitious housing program directly supports our ability to transform this underutilized site into a vibrant mixed-use community that delivers much-needed housing, expands access to one of New York City's great cultural institutions and creates dynamic new public spaces along the waterfront.”

MURAL Real Estate Partners President and CEO Robert Zeigler said, “Great cities are shaped by projects that do more than fill a site — they create opportunity. We're proud to join Gotham Organization, Fisher Brothers, the Intrepid Museum, and New York State in advancing a vision that brings together housing, culture, and public space in a way that creates lasting value. This project reflects the power of shared partnership — bringing together the public and private sectors around a common purpose to strengthen neighborhoods, expand access and build places that serve New Yorkers for generations.”

Intrepid Museum President Susan Marenoff-Zausner said, “We are thrilled to be a part of such a vital development project for New York City, and appreciative of Governor Hochul’s vision for the neighborhood and belief in the Museum’s mission. We are excited to collaborate with ‘best in class’ firms that exude excellence and share our belief in community. This project enables us to expand our award-winning educational programs that the Intrepid Museum is renowned for and that have been so impactful for the City’s youth.”

Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda
Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and livable for all New Yorkers. The project builds on the Governor’s bold vision to expand the state’s housing supply through innovative measures such as the Pro-Housing Communities Program and Executive Order 30, which promote barrier-breaking solutions to spur much-needed development. Since taking office, the Governor has worked to increase housing supply to make housing more affordable by launching a $25 billion five-year comprehensive Housing Plan, enacted the most significant housing deal in decades, implemented new protections for renters and homeowners, and secured a $500 million capital fund to develop up to 15,000 new homes on underutilized state-owned property.

Governor Hochul’s “Let Them Build” agenda will speed up housing and infrastructure development while lowering costs through a series of landmark reforms. Common-sense changes to New York’s Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) in the FY 2027 Enacted Budget as well as executive actions will expedite critical categories of projects that have been consistently found to not have significant environmental impacts, but for too long have been caught up in red tape and subject to lengthy delays.

The enacted FY27 Budget completes the Governor’s current five-year Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 81,000 affordable homes have been created or preserved to date. The Budget also invests $250 million in capital funding to accelerate the construction of thousands of new affordable homes. The enacted FY27 budget also further reinforces critical protections for tenants and homeowners.

About Empire State Development

Empire State Development is New York's chief economic development agency, and promotes business growth, job creation, and greater economic opportunity throughout the state. With offices in each of the state's 10 regions, ESD oversees the Regional Economic Development Councils, supports broadband equity through the ConnectALL office, and is growing the workforce of tomorrow through the Office of Strategic Workforce Development. The agency engages with emerging and next generation industries like clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing looking to grow in New York State, operates a network of assistance centers to help small businesses grow and succeed, and promotes the state's world class tourism destinations through I LOVE NY. For more information, please visit the Empire State Development website, and connect with ESD on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.

About Gotham Organization

Gotham has over 110 years of experience constructing and developing high quality mixed-use buildings throughout New York. Gotham’s long track record of success in developing homes for low, moderate, and middle-income residents in New York City is possible thanks to successful partnerships with public agencies, not-for-profits and property owners. Following development and construction, Gotham’s in-house property management division seamlessly transitions into ongoing building and community management, operating vibrant and engaging communities in the neighborhoods it builds in.

About Fisher Brothers

For more than a century, Fisher Brothers has excelled in real estate innovation, developing, owning and operating unique spaces that enable people to thrive. From cutting-edge building design to neighborhood-defining art installations, Fisher Brothers leverages each real estate asset to create one-of-a-kind spaces for people to live, work and play. Fisher Brothers currently owns and operates commercial, residential and experiential retail assets in New York City, Las Vegas, Washington, DC and Miami. For additional information about Fisher Brothers, please visit the Fisher Brothers website.

About MURAL Real Estate Partners

MURAL Real Estate Partners is a privately owned real estate owner, operator, and developer with deep experience in retail-centric acquisitions, operations, development and navigating complex mixed-use environments. Headquartered in New York, NY, the firm focuses on the long-term stewardship and repositioning of large-scale commercial assets across the United States. MURAL partners with municipalities, public agencies, civic institutions, and local stakeholders to pursue disciplined investment strategies that support economic vitality, community resilience and durable neighborhood outcomes.

About the Intrepid Museum

The Intrepid Museum, a private non-profit, holds a special place in New York City’s cultural landscape. Founded in 1982 with the acquisition of the storied WWII aircraft carrier Intrepid — a National Historic Landmark and the centerpiece of its collection — the Museum welcomes over one million visitors annually from all around the world. Its mission is to advance the understanding of the intersection of history and innovation in order to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire future generations.