Brookfield begins work on 120K sf deck at Manhattan West

Brookfield Office Properties has begun major construction of a 120,000-square-foot deck for its Manhattan West project, the New York Post reported.

After years of promises by both Brookfield and the Related Companies – the other major developer in the area with its Hudson Yards project – Brookfield’s move kicks off the first platform over the Amtrak rail yards between Ninth and 12th avenues.

The temporary platform will support a “launcher” That Will Receive Prefab Concrete Slabs From An Area Along The Adjacent West 31st Street side, according to the Post.

The deck is slated to be completed in 2014, and is an essential component of Manhattan West, as it helps establish a suitable environment for office and residential tenants at the site.

Brookfield will finance the platform with $300 million of its own money and a $340 million construction loan, according to the Post. Related – which just struck a tentative deal with Time Warner at Hudson Yards  — is yet to start work on its own deck. [NYP, 1st item] – Hiten Samtani