Secondary Navigation

De Blasio Administration and Related Companies Agree to Provide Living Wage for 1,650 Workers at Hudson Yards

March 20, 2014

CONTACT: pressoffice@cityhall.nyc.gov, (212) 788-2958

Agreement with Related Companies secures 139 more units of affordable housing, begins affordable construction sooner

NEW YORK – Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that 1,650 workers at the Hudson Yards development will earn a living wage through an agreement struck between his administration and Related Companies. The announcement comes as construction begins on the eastern platform of Hudson Yards, one of the largest and most complex development projects in the city's history.

Related has also committed to an expansion of affordable housing in the immediate neighborhood. An additional 139 units of affordable housing sought by the community have been secured, on top of those already pledged. Affordable apartments will also be added to the first phase of the project on the eastern platform, delivering benefits to low- and middle-income families sooner than planned. Importantly, the agreed upon plans remove many of the pre-conditions previously required before affordable housing could be built, adding new certainty to this component of the project.

Under the agreement, Related and its partners will pay a minimum $10.30 per hour and benefits – or $11.90 per hour without benefits (as of April 1, 2014) – to 1,650 workers, including building maintenance and security personnel. This commitment also covers employees of any affiliates of Related – if they locate at Hudson Yards – including restaurants and businesses like Equinox, in which Related owns a majority stake. This represents an expanded commitment on behalf of Related to the creation of good-paying jobs. The project had been previously exempted from living wage legislation.

"Our priorities are clear: we want good jobs and affordable housing for the people of this city. And we are fundamentally committed to working in close partnership with the private sector to achieve those goals. Just as with Domino, we secured an outcome that lifts up working people and invests in the needs of New Yorkers," said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"We are looking for every opportunity to create a better-paying job or a more affordable apartment for a family in need. And at Hudson Yards, we are showing we can in fact do more, hand-in-hand with the private sector, to deliver what the people of this city need. This is a win-win," said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen. "We won't ever hesitate to push for priorities like good jobs and affordable housing—and we are showing that with resolve and a spirit of cooperation, they can be achieved."

"We are pleased to work with Mayor de Blasio and Deputy Mayor Glen on an enhanced agreement to good-paying jobs for our city's growing workforce, and to work with the administration to find creative ways to commit to even more permanent affordable opportunities in the Hudson Yards area," said Jeff Blau, CEO of Related Companies. "We have an over 40-year history of creating and preserving affordable housing and have always believed that great cities need to offer housing opportunities across all income levels. Hudson Yards was always planned as an integrated, mixed-use neighborhood and will offer not only diverse housing opportunities, but tens of thousands of good-paying jobs that will advance our city's growing workforce."

"The community on the West Side of Manhattan fought for years to ensure that this building would create permanently affordable housing units," said Council Member Corey Johnson. "This project on 29th Street is a net-gain of affordable units which were not being utilized elsewhere in the community. Securing additional affordable units is a top priority for the community, and I applaud the administration for making this a top priority for them as well."