Real Estate

10 developments set to reshape U.S. cities in 2018

A look at some of the megaprojects and supertall towers opening or hitting big milestones later this year

By Patrick Sisson Jan 11, 2018, 2:22pm EST

The Hudson Yards development in New York City

With so many megaprojects under construction or breaking ground, it can be very confusing trying to keep track of billion-dollar developments. From supertalls to new residential towers, scores of city-changing plans are slowly taking shape. As Curbed looks ahead at the year in real estate and hot markets across the country, here are 10 of the biggest such projects currently in the works. They’re far from the only projects taking shape, but they are all predicted to fully open or reach significant milestones sometime this year. For more information on big projects underway in Curbed cities, check out links to metro-specific maps listed below.

Comcast Development Center: Philadelphia

This record-breaking, $1.5 billion-dollar development will redefine the Philadelphia skyline, adding a 1,121-foot-tall Foster + Partners-designed supertall in Center City. In addition to creating a new home for the lead tenant and telecom giant—as well as Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, who purchased three condos on the 45th floor—the soon-to-open tower will also boast a Four Seasons on the upper levels, making it the highest hotel in the nation.

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard: San Francisco

Few cities clamor for affordable housing more than San Francisco. This reimagined and reused naval site, dubbed the San Francisco Shipyard, began selling in early 2017, offering hundreds of relatively affordable condos (in the $500,000 to $600,00 range) in the city’s newest neighborhood, and will open more units later this year. Developers FivePoint Holdings also landed architect David Adjaye to design and oversee the second phase of the development, which will roll out over the next few years. Along with the in-process, $6 billion Treasure Island project, San Francisco is (very slowly) building out capacity.

Capitol Crossing: Washington, D.C.

The first phase of this sizable, $1.3 billion downtown redevelopment in the nation’s capital, a building called 200 Massachusetts Ave NW, is expected to open later this year. A private project overseen by D.C.-based developer Property Group Partners, Capitol Crossing will eventually consist of five Platinum LEED-certified buildings connected by landscaped public areas. It’s just one of the many massive projects, such as the Wharf, a $2.5 billion-dollar redevelopment of the southwest waterfront, reshaping the District.

242 Broome Street, part of the Essex Crossing development

Essex Crossing: New York City

Home to many of the nation’s largest and flashiest real estate project (see the soon-to-open 3 World Trade Center commercial tower), Manhattan is also set to see expanded housing options for those of more modest means. Essex Crossing, a mixed-use megaproject on the Lower East Side, has started opening the doors to residential and retail building, including a number of more affordable housing projects such as the Rollins, named after the famous jazz musician. This year, additional stores and amenities, including the Market Line and new Essex Street Market, will open their doors, turning the development site into more of a livable neighborhood.

Metropolis: Los Angeles

The momentum continues to pick up in downtown Los Angeles. After last year’s crowning of the Wilshire Grand, the city’s tallest tower, cranes are still swinging all over this fast-growing neighborhood. One of the biggest additions will be the Metropolis housing and hotels megaproject, which rolled out its first few residential buildings over the last year, and will continue to expand its footprint with new towers set to finish in 2018 and 2019. Already home to the city’s most expensive penthouses, the Metropolis only reaffirms real estate’s re-embrace of the city core.

Independent: Austin

The tallest building in the Texan tech capital will put out the welcome mat this year, as the so-called Jenga Tower finally finishes construction. The 58-story, $370 million tower, designed by local architectural firm Rhode:Partners, will be the tallest all-residential tower west of the Mississippi, and a symbol of Austin’s booming economy. All of the building’s 72 one-bedroom condos sold last year.

Hub on the Causeway: Boston

The first phase of this massive redevelopment of the old Boston Garden site, which will ultimately add 1.87 million square feet of shops, restaurants, offices, hotel rooms, and residences, is set to finish sometime this year. Eventually, the joint project between developers Boston Properties and Delaware North will include a 38-story residential tower, 21-story office tower, as well as new transit connections and outdoor space.

Hudson Yards: New York City

Manhattan will also see action on the west side, as new phases of the extensive Hudson Yards project come online. This year, a big focus will be residential and retail. The project’s first residential building, 15 Hudson Yards, is set to open, and the massive Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards will add 1 million square feet of commercial development to 10th Avenue.

Packard Plant: Detroit

The earliest stages of what may be one of the biggest redevelopment projects in North America should be complete by the end of the year. This 3.5 million-square-foot, Albert Kahn-designed former auto plant, which had famously fallen into disrepair and disuse, should see its $16 million Administration Building open its doors later this year. Tenants have already staked claims for restaurant, gallery, and event space. The continued build-out of this mammoth structure should help set up a very exciting 2019 for renovated and restored Detroit real estate, with numerous 20th-century towers—the Book Tower, the Detroit Free Press Building, and the David Stott Building—slated to get new leases on life.

One Thousand Museum: Miami

A long-awaited design by the late Dame Zaha Hadid will most likely finish by the end of 2018, bringing the Pritzker winner’s dramatic, sweeping curves to the corner of 10th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. The ultraluxury, 62-story tower, set to feature a private helipad on the roof, offers another choice for chic millionaires and billionaires looking to pick up high-priced real estate and ride the city’s condo boom. Along with other recent additions, such as the Panorama Tower in Brickell, the city’s tallest building, One Thousand Museum is reshaping Miami’s skyline.