A car park near the Intrepid Museum along the Hell’s Kitchen waterfront is set to be transformed into housing. Developers Gotham Organization, Fisher Brothers and Mural Real Estate Group were selected by Governor Kathy Hochul to redevelop the 50,584 square foot site at 621 West 45th Street into two residential towers with approximately 1,127 new housing units, as announced by the Governor’s office on Wednesday. Crain’s New York Business first reported the news.
As early as February of last year, Governor Hochul had announced plans to convert the state-owned car park along the West Side Highway – currently used by the Intrepid Museum – into a residential complex. The aim is to address the city’s housing shortage. In her 2025 announcement, Hochul stated that Manhattan's West Side has a storied history as a vibrant, inclusive community. She is determined to bolster that legacy by building for a more affordable future.
By converting this underutilised state-owned parcel into a dynamic mixed-use development with a significant proportion of affordable housing, the low housing supply in a high-demand area will be addressed, building a stronger community for residents of Hell’s Kitchen and beyond, Hochul continued. Gotham, Fisher and Mural will develop the site into two interconnected residential towers comprising 1,127 units. Of these, approximately 338 are designated as affordable housing for individuals earning between 40 percent and 130 percent of the area median income, Crain’s reported.
The overall development also includes 108 for-sale condominiums, of which approximately 28 are designated as affordable housing. Furthermore, the development will feature retail space and a replacement car park for the museum, as well as a new 22,641 square foot community facility on the opposite side of the West Side Highway. This facility will be part of the Intrepid Museum and will include a visitor centre, a cafe and a STEM education centre.
David Picket, CEO of Gotham Organization, stated in an email to Commercial Observer that his organisation has spent decades working with government, community-based organisations and non-profit institutions on Manhattan’s West Side to provide housing for New Yorkers of all income levels, and this project builds on that legacy. This transformative development will deliver hundreds of permanently affordable homes, including housing for veterans and middle-income homeownership opportunities, while creating a vibrant civic destination that benefits both residents and the surrounding neighbourhood.
Hope Knight, President, CEO and Commissioner of Empire State Development, remarked in 2025 that this is an extraordinary opportunity to convert a state-owned asset into a thriving residential and mixed-use development that meets the needs of New Yorkers, while enhancing the vibrancy and diversity of the Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood. By repurposing this underutilised site, affordable housing can be provided, engaging public spaces created, and economic growth catalysed in one of Manhattan’s most dynamic communities.
