Tishman to Build NYC’s One Vanderbilt

By Adriana Pop

New York–Global infrastructure firm AECOM has announced that its Tishman Construction unit will manage construction of the iconic One Vanderbilt tower in Midtown Manhattan.

One Vanderbilt in Manhattan

Tishman will be building the 58-story project for SL Green Realty Corp., New York City’s largest commercial property owner. The project’s total construction cost is approximately $1 billion.

Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, the 1,401-foot tall skyscraper is set to rise in the heart of New York’s East Midtown business district, directly adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, which is one of the busiest rail stations in the world.

Plans call for 1.6 million square feet of Class A commercial space, a public transit hall at the base of the building connected to a 14,000-square-foot public plaza, as well as $220 million worth of public transit improvements to the Grand Central transit hub.

Construction is scheduled to begin this year. Upon completion, in 2020, One Vanderbilt is expected to be the second-tallest office building in New York City, making Tishman the builder for the two tallest office towers in the city. The company also managed the construction of the 1,776-foot-high One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

“As the quintessential New York builder, we are proud that SL Green is entrusting us to build this iconic structure that will help reshape the skyline,” stated Michael Burke, chairman & chief executive officer of AECOM. “We are excited to extend our expertise in delivering the highest-performance buildings as part of the dramatic transformation underway in Midtown East, one of the premier business districts in the world.”

One Vanderbilt is designed to pay homage to the landmarked Grand Central Terminal and fit seamlessly into the skyline with the Chrysler Building, its neighbor only one block away. The project is also expected to be LEED v4 Gold Certified.

Founded in 1898, Tishman Construction is a legendary builder of complex, iconic projects. The company also managed the Javits Convention Center expansion and renovation in New York, the new headquarters for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. and the new regional transportation intermodal center for high-speed trains in Anaheim, Calif.

Los Angeles-based AECOM, one of the world’s largest engineering and design firms, acquired Tishman Construction in July 2010 for $245 million.

Image courtesy of Kohn Pedersen Fox