Hudson Companies, Housing Works, and Broadway Builders celebrate topping out of 145,000 s/f The Lirio

Manhattan, NY Hudson Companies, Housing Works and Broadway Builders celebrated the topping out of The Lirio, a 145,000 s/f development with 112 permanently affordable apartments at the corner of 54^th St. and 9^th Ave. The Lirio will include 67 apartments for formerly homeless individuals – of which 59 units will be supportive housing units – 44 affordable homes for families earning between 30 and 120% of the area median income (AMI), and one superintendent unit. The development will also features 30,000 s/f of office space for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and 7,000 s/f of retail space. To mark the topping out, the Hudson Companies, Housing Works and Broadway Builders were joined at a celebratory event by MTA officials, financing partners, the Housing Preservation Department, community members, and consultants and subcontracts that were integral to bringing this project to fruition.

The Lirio is designed by CetraRuddy Architecture and built in partnership with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development, the MTA, and other partners. Designed to complement the existing neighborhood character, the development is planned to meet the rigorous Passive House standards. When completed, The Lirio will include a landscaped terrace, a rooftop garden, a fitness center, bicycle storage, and 24-hour front desk staff. Broadway Builders is ahead of schedule with construction, beginning on June 13, 2024 and so far completing nine floors of development. The Lirio is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2027. 

“As New York City continues to face a housing crisis, we’re proud to deliver a project that addresses a wide range of urgent needs – supportive and affordable housing at varying income levels, MTA office space that will help modernize the subway system, and neighborhood retail, all within a sustainable building,” said David Kramer, president of Hudson Companies. “The Lirio goes beyond just providing new housing; it represents a commitment to affordability, lifesaving services, and long-term community investment. Today’s topping out marks a major step forward, and we’re incredibly grateful to mayor Adams and his administration, HPD, the MTA, councilmember Erik Bottcher, borough president Mark Levine, Community Board 4, Housing Works, our financing partners, and the exceptional design and construction teams whose creativity, skill, and dedication have brought this vision to life.”

“The topping out of The Lirio is a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we come together to build a more inclusive city. This project directly addresses the urgent need for affordable and supportive housing by providing a safe, stable place to live. The Lirio will be life-changing for individuals experiencing homelessness and people living with HIV/AIDS, offering them the foundation to rebuild and thrive. Like the Liriodendron tree, for which The Lirio is named, this development is rooted in resilience – designed to support individuals and help them grow. We’re honored to be part of a project that offers not just housing, but healing, dignity, and lasting care,” said Andrew Coamey, senior vice president of Housing Works.

“We’ve made incredible progress on The Lirio in the last ten months and are grateful to hit this milestone,” said president of Broadway Builders Bernard Ruf. “This project represents our dedication to building more equitable and healthier communities for underrepresented groups throughout the city. We look forward to finishing construction and bringing this terrific development to Hell’s Kitchen.”

“We’re thrilled to join with Housing Works and Hudson Companies in celebrating such an important milestone for The Lirio,” said Brian McFarland, AIA, principal at CetraRuddy. “With its advanced Passive House design approach and inspiring, healthy homes, this project offers a powerful case study in supporting environmental, physical, and mental wellbeing for New Yorkers in need. Thanks to a visionary and dedicated leadership team, today our city is one step closer to transforming lives with over 100 homes.”

The development of The Lirio is a direct response to the needs of the Hell’s Kitchen community. The neighborhood has the highest concentration of residents living with HIV in the city, along with one of the highest rates of new infections. The project will help tackle the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic by building stable and secure permanent housing targeted for long-term survivors. Housing Works will have designated office space within the development to provide on-site case management to supportive housing residents. These resources will help residents with HIV stay on their medical regiments and get to “zero detectability,” which improves the individual’s health and also makes the virus untransmittable.