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New York's largest private real estate project, the 18 million square foot Hudson Yards, can expect a flood of locals, tourists and office workers at its official opening on March 15 .
For the first time, members of the public will board Vessel, a 150-foot high honeycomb-like art installation on the public square, dine at the resort's luxury restaurants such as Momofuku and D & D London, as well as in retail stores.
Read more: Hudson Yards is the most expensive real estate development in the history of the United States. This is what his $ 25 billion future could look like.
As the excitement mounted, the city's firefighters issued a sobering warning: firefighters do not have enough capacity to service development and, as a result, residents' lives could be put into action. danger.
In 2018, the president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association – the union representing firefighters in New York City – sent a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio in which he was worried about the increase in the traffic and security emergencies near Hudson Yards.
In his letter, Gerard Fitzgerald claimed that the absence of fire stations endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. His department, he wrote, was already "exhausted", trying to service the surrounding area, close to the Eastern and Western Rail Yards, which include neighborhoods like Chelsea and Hell & # 39; s Kitchen.
De Blasio has never responded to the letter, but Fitzgerald's request has received support from his own fire department.
If the city refuses to build a new station, he said, it should at least equip the stations near the Hudson shipyards with an additional firefighter for each engine.
"If they were starting today, it would probably take almost two years for the fire station to be built and operational," he told Business Insider.
By the completion of Hudson Yards in 2024, the network will have more than 125,000 residents, visitors and daily office workers. This increased activity of pedestrians could amplify firefighter demands.
"More people, more emergencies," Fitzgerald said. "If we go out more often, it means there is less availability [to answer calls]. "
More people also mean more congestion on major transit corridors, such as the Holland Tunnel to the south, the Lincoln Tunnel to the north and the Penn Station to the east. Service in 15 Hudson Yards, an 88-storey residential tower with nearly 400 housing units, is of particular concern.
"If there is a fire up there, you are on the water, the wind is a source of concern," he said. "We need extra firefighters … to save or protect lives."
There is an irony in these warnings, as the developers of Hudson Yards have made every effort to protect the site from terrorist attacks, including active shooters and truck bombs.
Related Companies, one of the developers of the site, said that the decision to install a fire station was the responsibility of the city and the firefighters of New York.
"We do not control the location of the fire stations, but we work closely with [New York City Fire Department Commissioner Daniel] Nigro and his team appreciate their intense involvement in badyzing the resources and additional procedures that may be necessary, "the company told Business Insider.
Fitzgerald added that a new fire station could only be created if lives were lost.
"That will be how the city will pay attention," he said, "if the number of deaths by fire increases."
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