Fulton Center is the First Subway Station to Receive LEED Rating

By Anca Gagiuc, Associate Editor

Fulton Center, NYC

New York, NY—Fulton Center became the first subway hub in New York to receive a LEED rating. The MTA received the LEED Silver certification for the Fulton Center on Broadway between Fulton and Dey Street in Manhattan’s Financial District.

The Fulton Center was awarded the recognition for its environmentally responsible design; the facility achieves more than 25 percent in energy savings compared to a baseline building of similar type. Half of the energy used at the center comes from renewable sources. Furthermore, the oculus reduces electricity use, while low flow plumbing fixtures reduce water consumption by 40 percent.

“The Fulton Center has been the recipient of a number of awards and honors, but this designation is truly special,” said Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Construction (MTACC) President Michael Horodniceanu. “It shows how we married the old with the new to create a state-of-the-art transportation hub, shopping destination and office facility while keeping the environment top of mind.”

The Fulton Center accommodates up to 300,000 daily customers through its nine subway lines. It houses nearly 66,000 square feet of revenue generating retail and commercial space as well as the MTA’s largest digital media program, both managed and operated by Westfield Corp.

The oculus at Fulton Center, NYC

Construction of the facility included the restoration of the 125-year-old Corbin Building. A new 350-foot long pedestrian tunnel constructed under Dey Street between Broadway and Church Street expands intermodal transit options. To ensure accessibility, ten escalators and fifteen Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant elevators have been installed. Moreover, the public restroom facilities include two ADA accessible bathrooms on the concourse and the street level.

The $1.4 billion Fulton Center was funded with $847 million from a special Congressional appropriation granted after September 11, 2001. The funds, known as the Lower Manhattan Recovery Grants, were intended for local transit agencies to repair, replace, and enhance transportation infrastructure in Lower Manhattan. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded the project with $423 million, while the MTA provided $130 million in local funds.

Contractors working on the Fulton Center project under the leadership of MTACC Project Executive Uday Durg included Citnalta Construction Corp., Gramercy Group Inc., Skanska USA Civil Northeast, Inc, WDF, Inc, Plaza/Schiavone JV, and Judlau Contracting Inc. Consultants included Arup, Grimshaw, HDR, Page Ayers Cowley Architects, Parsons Brinckerhoff/LendLease JV, and Jamie Carpenter Associates.

Images courtesy of Fulton Center