Safety Fears Mar Hudson Yards' Grand Opening

HUDSON YARDS, NY — The highly-anticipated Hudson Yards development will hold its grand opening ceremony on Friday, but New York City's firefighters union is sounding the alarm on safety concerns for the new neighborhood.

The moment Hudson Yards' public spaces, shops and restaurants open on Friday people live's will be put at risk, Uniformed Fire Association President Gerard Fitzgerald said during a Thursday press conference. Fitzgerald called on the city to open a new firehouse in Hudson Yards to adequately protect the hundreds of thousands of people who are expected to live and work in the city-within-a-city.

"Hudson Yards is missing one key component — safety," Fitzgerald said. "Without critical first responders and firefighters people's lives are at risk."

The opening of Hudson Yards will place an "unfair" burden on two nearby firehouses that are currently stretched thin and presents unique challenges that could adversely affect response time during emergencies, Fitzgerald added. With the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Penn Station and Port Authority in close proximity, the area is already one of the most congested in the city. Add in all the vehicles, taxis and tourists that will flock to Hudson Yards and the situation will present an "impossible" challenge for firefighters.

The fact that every building in Hudson Yards is a high-rise means that emergencies will require a larger number of fire and EMS personnel to respond to the scene, a Uniformed Fire Association spokesman said.

Fitzgerald didn't provide an estimate as to what a Hudson Yards firehouse would cost, but said a state-of-the-art firehouse is currently being developed for $32 million in Brooklyn. The annual operating costs for a firehouse are about $4 million, the union president added.

"[Hudson Yards residents] are going to be paying taxes and high rents," Fitzgerald said. "They should be protected as well as anyone else in the city.

The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards — a one-million-square-foot shopping and dining destination — will open to the public at noon on Friday. The shopping center, developed by Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group, will rise seven stories and will be flanked by two high-rise office and hotel towers.

Businesses setting up shop at the Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards include: Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers, H&M, Lululemon, Sephora, Rolex, Tiffany & Co. and other high-end retail destinations. Notabal chefs such as David Chang, Michael Lomonaco and José Andrés will open dining ventures.

"We truly believe we have assembled a collection that will delight New Yorkers and visitors alike," Dean Shapiro of Oxford Properties Group said in a statement.

A portion of Hudson Yards' 14 acres of public space will also open to the public Friday. Vessel, the artistic centerpiece of Hudson Yards designed Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio, will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting Friday. Visitors must reserve tickets up to 14 days in advance to tour the climbable statue comprised of interlocking staircases and platforms.