Drone shots of York Central have been released to show the progress on the site so far.
It came as councillors were given an update on the huge development.
They heard that the first planning application for some of the 2,500 homes on the site behind the station should be lodged by the end of June.
And plans for an ‘innovation hub’ aimed at start-up businesses are being drawn up with an aspiration to make it the “greenest office building in the UK”, according to developers.
Tom Gilman, managing director of McLaren Regeneration, which is one of the developers overseeing the project, said work on the homes could begin in 2026 and finish by 2028.
The updates follow the approval of a Government Hub office building for civil servants in July.
Members of City of York Council’s corporate services, climate change and scrutiny management committee heard that efforts were underway to begin work on a 200-bed hotel.
The first sections of new access infrastructure into the site is set to open in the spring, according to a council report.
40% of homes affordable
Councillors heard the developers were aiming to make 40 per cent of the homes affordable, up from the 20 per cent agreed when initial outline plans were approved in 2019.
The committee heard developers wanted to rent them at below the technically affordable rate of less than 80 per cent of market value.
All the homes are set to be built to Passivhaus standards to make them cheaper to heat and power and to be more environmentally sustainable.
Council interim city development lead Claire Foale said talks about services to serve the homes including for health were ongoing.
Councillors also heard the developers remained committed to office space in the development following questions about whether that would change in light of the rise in home working.
McLaren Director Mr Gilman said the development’s business district aimed to provide space for existing industries in York to grow and to bring them together in a cluster.
He told councillors the aim was to attract businesses from existing industries in York including railway, agriculture and biotechnology and the creative and digital sectors.
All infrastructure works including two new bridges over the East Coast Main Line are set to be finished by winter 2026.
A planning application for a replacement for the Wilton Rise Footbridge which spans across the line shoud be lodged in September.
York Central is set to add an estimated £1.1bn to the city’s economy, create 6,500 jobs and build almost 93,000sqm of business and retail space.
Mr Gilman said: “York Central is 60 per cent of the area of the walled city, our aspiration with the homes is to offer something for people from all walks of life and age groups, it shouldn’t be an oasis of privilege.
“The business district aims to create a cluster of companies that can all work off the back of each other.
“The office space is key to the growth of York’s economy and for providing jobs for future residents, if you look at York it’s got a high level of education but there isn’t the jobs so people go to Leeds and Manchester.
“The space will be designed to appeal to the market, the innovation hub will be designed to attract the core industries as well as start-ups.”