New 'Iron Horse' Life Sciences Building To Honor Lou Gehrig

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The new 200,000 square foot life sciences building to be constructed at the birthplace of Yankee legend Lou Gehrig will be named the Iron Horse Labs in his honor.

Gehrig, who got the nickname "Iron Horse" after playing in 2130 consecutive games of baseball, died in 1941 from ALS, now commonly know as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Once the building is completed, the plaque honoring the Yorkville native will be restored inside the building's lobby.

"Iron Horse Labs’ inherent function as a cutting- edge research facility is itself a tribute to Gehrig and his continuing status as the face of a disease still in need of a cure," Elevate Research Properties, the developer of the site and life science subsidiary of Taconic Partners, wrote in an announcement.

"Lou Gehrig continues to be a symbol of determination and perseverance both for those battling the disease and for the many searching for cures," said Bill Harris, Managing Director at architecture firm Perkins & Will.

The $325 million project will feature state of the art lab appointments, including "unique" double height research areas, multiple loading bays, outdoor terraces and other amenities, the announcement stated.

And aside from being located at Gehrig's birthplace, the project is just steps from life science heavy-hitters, like Rockefeller University, Weil Cornell, Mount Sinai, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Hospital for Special Surgery and NYC Health and Hospitals.

“This particular project is especially unique given its rich history along with the rare combination of size, features, and location,” said Matthew Weir, President of Elevate Research Properties.

Demolition of the circa-1927 factory building has already commenced and the building is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

Once built, it will be the latest addition to the East Side's growing life science scene, joining other planned projects like the New York Blood Center's new headquarters and Rockefeller University's upcoming "incubator."

The future lab building is also just one block east from the 94th Street block where a developer is seeking a rezoning to build a 46-story apartment tower.

As Patch previously reported, Taconic and its partner Nuveen Real Estate spent $70 million last fall to purchase the 94th Street building, which sits between First and Second avenues, as well as an adjacent auto shop and garage on the opposite side of the block, at 324 East 95th St.

Taconic filed plans in June to demolish the auto shop — known for being the site of an August 2021 murder — but it was unclear what role that site will play in the new science facility.