Hudson Yards neighbourhood votes against Wynn New York City
Related Companies/Oxford Properties Group and Wynn Resorts have run into a stumbling block with their plans to bring Wynn New York to Manhattan’s Hudson Yards with the neighbourhood where the casino would be located speaking out vociferously against the blueprint.
Community Board 4, which represents the Hudson Yards neighbourhood, voted unanimously against approving a change in zoning to allow the project to move forward. Whilst just advisory, the vote of no confidence is a concern for the developers.
In a letter to City Planning Director Dan Garodnick, Community Board 4 highlighted ‘catastrophic traffic and air quality impacts on our neighborhoods.’
“This proposal simply isn’t a fit for this site,” it said.
Community Board 4 was backed by the community group; friends of the High Line.
Alan Van Capelle, Executive Director of Friends of the High Line, said: “This ‘no’ vote creates a generational opportunity to say ‘yes’ to public-spirited development that creates jobs to build new housing and truly public open space, and protects the High Line. And I encourage Related to withdraw its application and join a community-led effort to start over,quickly, to reimagine the site for public good. The High Line is a cherished space, not just for West Side residents but for millions of visitors who come to experience its unique blend of art, nature, and urban design. This proposal threatens to undo years of thoughtful planning by prioritizing massive commercial interests over the livability and public benefit promised in the 2009 plan. The increase in dark, windy spaces and loss of connectivity undermines the spirit of what this area was meant to be—a vibrant, welcoming, and accessible part of our city.”
“We are grateful to Community Board 4 for its historic and courageous decision to deny Related’s rezoning application, without conditions,” he added. “You have listened to this community, including the nearly 6,000 supporters of our campaign and 3,500 people who signed a petition calling on you to protect the High Line.”
The $12bn total project proposal to build Hudson Yards West on top of the undeveloped western rail yards, between Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen, has been pitched as a once-in-a-generation commitment that, if approved by City and State officials, would provide significant quality-of-life improvements for the neighborhood and enormous economic opportunity for the entire city. Wynn New York city would create 5,000 permanent union careers, 35,000 union construction jobs during development, a 5.6-acre public park, comparable in size to Bryant Park, 1,500 new housing units, including 324 affordable apartments.
Joshua David, co-founder of The High Line and former member of CB4, said: “The proposal reeks of greed and disregard for the community. A carefully planned mixed-use neighborhood is wiped out for a garish Las Vegas-style monstrosity that has no place on Manhattan’s West Side. If we wanted to live in Las Vegas, we would live in Las Vegas.”
Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director at Open Plans, added: “The High Line has become one of New York’s most dynamic spaces. The innovative public space has transformed the surrounding area into a premier destination by celebrating urban density and people-centered streets, but this project threatens that by degrading the public space and creating excess parking that will drive even more congestion to an already-congested area. This is the wrong approach. As New York City faces an urgent housing and livability crisis, we must prioritize development that includes abundant new housing, access to quality public space, and streets that are accessible for everyone.”
Related Companies defended its blueprint, saying: “The community board has a long track record of opposing projects that would bring opportunity to the West Side. While many of their ideas are not fiscally feasible to implement, we welcome feedback and elements that can make this project and neighborhood better. We are focused on moving forward with local elected officials, who have been committed to pursuing realistic plans that deliver the jobs, housing and community improvements New York needs today.”
