New York City’s West Side may soon be getting a massive floating hotel if the folks behind the much-anticipated SuperPier anti-mall have their way. Youngwoo & Associates, the developers of the shipping container megaproject, have hatched a plan with RXR Realty to transform a decommissioned cruise ship into Manhattan’s first permanent hotel at sea. The team was inspired by the Anheuser-Busch “Bud Light” hotel that took over a Norwegian Cruise Line ship during Superbowl XLVIII.
Youngwoo & Associates has big plans to transform Pier 57 into Manhattan’s premier shipping container shopping complex, complete with plenty of public space to enjoy the Hudson River views, as well as office space for businesses. Over the past few years, the pier was used for pop-up art and fashion events before major construction started, but now the group is looking to expand its cultural cache, and add hospitality to the docket.
Related: SuperPier Gearing Up for Renovation into NYC’s Premier Shipping Container Anti-Mall
Youngwoo was intrigued by the success of the 4,000-passenger Bud Light cruise ship hotel that appeared at the Superbowl. In a plan with RXR, the firm is looking into bringing in a cruise ship to add to the site’s architecture, creating a unique hotel space in the competitive Manhattan tourism landscape. The pier itself is not floating, but is stabilized on a concrete caisson, enabling the structure to support a docked massive ship.
The team is currently doing research on funding partners, and is looking into working with foreign investors that would be interested in developing Manhattan’s first floating hotel.
