One Times Square, the site of the the iconic New Year’s Eve ball drop, has been undergoing a $500 million redevelopment that will turn it into a modern-day visitor center, and it’s now one step closer to completion!
Last week on Thursday, December 7th, officials and crews came together to celebrate the topping out of the skyscraper.
In construction, a topping out ceremony is an age-old tradition in which the tallest and last beam is placed on a project, marking a major milestone for everyone on the project.
People have been watching the iconic New Year’s Eve ball drop at One Times Square since 1907, though the redevelopment of the 26-story, 119-year-old building will allow the public to experience it in a whole new way.
Designed by S9 Architecture with SLCE as the architect, the $500 million redevelopment will open much of the building’s interior to the public for the first time in decades and will include a new visitor center, a viewing deck, a museum experience, and twelve floors of interactive brand experiences.
More details regarding the building plans can be found here.
The New Year countdown sign was recently reinstalled on the building, and the 2024 numbers are slated to arrive this month on December 20th.
Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown, stated:
The future of Times Square needs to build on its strengths – from Broadway to the digital billboards to New Year’s Eve – while also adding new and varied experiences that evolve and elevate its position as a global entertainment district. The redevelopment of One Times Square is a reimagination of how Times Square can be experienced and how brands can create meaningful resonance with consumers.
Though the renovations of the iconic building were originally expected to be completed by the summer of 2024, it’s now slated to open to the public sometime in 2025.