Lou Gehrig’s new research facility will be called Iron Horse Labs

New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig, the iron horse who played a record 2,130 straight games from 1925-1939, was born at 309 E. 94th St.

So it’s fitting that developer Elevate Research Properties, a subsidiary of Taconic Partners, plans to name the cutting-edge research facility it’s building on the site Iron Horse Labs. It is a tribute to the great first baseman who died in 1941 at the age of 37, the victim of a paralyzing condition known as ALS, commonly referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.”

“His story can inspire lives to be saved,” said Elevate President Matthew Weir.

The 200,000-square-foot project, reported here for the first time, will be leased as a potential “leading opportunity for medical and research organizations, life science labs, and academic medical institutions,” Weir said.

Elevate and its partners, Nuveen Real Estate and Flatiron Equities, bought the land for $70 million, part of their $350 million total construction cost. The new building will feature features such as a unique double-height dedicated research space, sophisticated energy efficiency systems and multiple outdoor terraces.

An exterior plaque at Gehrig’s birthplace, installed by the Yankees in the 1990s, is due to be restored and reinstalled in the lobby.

The eight floors of Iron Horse are to include the existing five-story structure and new construction on the site of smaller buildings to be demolished. The façade design includes triangular sunshades reminiscent of baseball pennants.

Elevate also owns two other Manhattan science facilities, West End Labs at 125 West End Ave. and Hudson Research Center at 619 W. 54th St. Q train station and nearby medical facilities such as Mount Sinai, Rockefeller University and Weill Cornell.

“It can be rented out to a single institution, but the infrastructure makes it suitable for multiple tenants as well,” Weir said.