Opened in 2009, New York’s iconic High Line could be endangered by the rezoning of land now affected by the construction of high-rises and a casino. In fact, in an article published in the NY Daily News, the founders of Friends of the High Line, Joshua David and Robert Hammond, expressed concern about the impact of a proposed development at West Side Yard on the experience of the elevated parkland.
Earlier this year, New York developer Related Companies applied for redevelopment of the West Side Yard, an underutilized railroad depot adjacent to the Hudson Yards high-rise complex in Manhattan. The company then submitted skyscraper plans to fill the site and was one of the few to apply for what would be Manhattan's first casino license for the development.
According to David and Hammond, the West Side Yard site had been the subject of negotiations between the Friends of the High Line and the City of New York in 2009, envisioning the site for housing, a school, and green space. The couple argued that the new development would instead “block” the view from the High Line, which terminates at Hudson Yards, and suggested that the casino and restaurants would negatively affect local businesses.
The company leading the Related development responded to these concerns by explaining how the 2009 plan was scrapped for reasons of economic feasibility and emphasized the inclusion of housing in the proposed project, adding that the development would add housing and maintain the view from the High Line. From plans the proposal would in fact create a new 5.6-acre public green park, 5,000 permanent jobs at the resort, more than 300 units of new housing.
Related’s proposal is one of many that have been advanced to create developments that include casinos. Others include a BIG lot on Manhattan’s East Side and another designed by CetraRuddy, also near Hudson Yards.
Opening image: photo David Shankbone from Flickr