Jamestown owns one of the most iconic billboard-clad buildings in the world, One Times Square. For 117 years, it has been the home of the globally famous New Year's Eve ball drop, viewed by over a billion people annually. Clad with billboards and located at one of the busiest intersections in Manhattan's theater and cultural districts, Times Square is always bustling with activity, even on a regular Tuesday.
Despite all that activity, most people probably don't realize that the building behind those billboards has been largely vacant since 1992. The visionary leaders at Jamestown Properties are set to change that. One Times Square is undergoing a $500 million redevelopment and will be reborn and revitalized as a new experiential and event destination right in the heart of New York City.
When the WXO - World Experience Organization decided to host the World Experience Summit (WXS) in New York last month, I saw a win-win opportunity. Jamestown is developing a building devoted to experiences, and we were bringing hundreds of pioneering and innovative experience creators and partners practically to their doorstep. Connecting the dots, I reached out to some new friends at Jamestown and told them about the summit, asking if they wanted to participate.
Not only did they love the idea, but several of them attended the summit. Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown, also joined and participated in a panel/game show I hosted at the WXS (more on that in a future article). The Jamestown team also offered to host a select group of summit participants for a meeting and construction tour of the project.
So, Louis Alfieri, Jasmin Jodry, Lou Pizante, David Shulman, Elliott Dunwody, Jamie Reilly, MBA, Julie Blore-Bizot, Trent Oliver, Pierre-Luc Gladu, Tobias Geisler, Alicia Yaffe, Jesse Nicita, Nathan Alexander, Amy Johnson, and I met with the team at Jamestown's One Times Square Satellite Office for an exciting field trip before the WXS kick-off. Perched at the edge of Times Square, their office offers a unique glimpse into the hustle and bustle. They even have a spare set of the current New Year's Eve numbers and OTS building models in their fun office foyer.
We met with Sherri White , Amy Tse, Julia Verbrugge, and a few other team members from Jamestown. Sherri gave us a sneak preview of the plans for the One Times Square redevelopment. This features many floors of experiences, suites, a wedding venue, a museum about the building's history, and a fabulous new observation deck.
After the presentation, we suited up in PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)—neon safety vests and hard hats—and joined their lead construction director to tour several key floors of the building during its construction. The tour was exhilarating, and it was especially fun weaving through the crowded street in our PPE gear. I imagined that we looked like a team of ducklings crossing the street, and we later joked that we should have all been holding on to a rope as you see for small children on a field trip.
Riding the construction elevator to the top floor was thrilling. The Jamestown team had even lowered the New Year's Eve ball for our visit so we could touch it (!) and have some photo opportunities.
Then, we explored a few other floors, including those that would soon be suites for rent, and walked out on the brand-new observation deck on floor L19. Standing on a narrow concrete path just poured a month earlier, surrounded by scaffolding, offered an unmatched and intimate view of Times Square.
After the tour, we returned to Jamestown for wine and hors d'oeuvres, allowing us to ask more questions and have follow-up conversations about the project.
What’s impressive about Jamestown's vision for One Times Square is its commitment to innovation. They are not interested in doing "the same old thing." Instead, they aim to work with innovative IP and brands to create something entirely new and experiential on the global stage.
Twelve floors of experiential entertainment will fill up most of the building. Showcasing potentially diverse content and managing the logistical high-throughput flow of visitors from top to bottom in a building with a non-rectangular footprint is a fascinating challenge - The kind of challenge that we experience creators and building operators love to sink our teeth into. I’m excited to see how this project evolves over the next few years.
Everyone was blown away by the tour, grateful for Jamestown’s hospitality, and inspired by the innovative thinking. Our construction hats are off to Jamestown for bringing an exciting new experiential project to Manhattan.
Times Square itself is a major attraction, drawing an estimated 330,000 visitors daily, with annual visitor numbers reaching over 50 million. This redevelopment will only enhance its appeal, providing even more reasons for people to flock to this iconic location year-round.
Soon, there will be many more reasons to visit One Times Square every day of the year, not just on New Year's Eve.
