On Monday, in his State of the State 2021 address, Governor Cuomo announced a proposal to extend the High Line to the recently opened Moynihan Train Hall.
As part of a public-private partnership, Brookfield Property Group will partner with Empire State Development, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Friends of the High Line to build an L-shaped connection from the High Line’s “spur” at 10th Ave. to Brookfield’s Manhattan West public space. Manhattan West is a development project that is part of the Hudson Yards redevelopment area.
“This will be the most ambitious redevelopment that New York City has seen in decades,” Cuomo said. “When the private sector economy lags, state governments build infrastructure and spur development. The beautiful Moynihan Train Hall is open. The renovation of Penn Station and this High Line extension project begin this year. This connection is part of a districtwide redevelopment of the West Side that will jump-start the private market in a post-COVID world.”
Under the governor’s proposal, the project will extend the existing High Line eastward at 10th Ave. and 30th St. along Dyer Ave. to midblock between Ninth and 10th Aves., at which point it will turn north and connect into the elevated public space. The public space would then terminate on Ninth Ave. directly across from the entrance to the Farley Building and the new Moynihan Train Hall.
Extending the High Line in these locations would not only create new public space but also address community concerns about pedestrian access between Penn Station and Hudson Yards and surrounding areas. Midtown West is a growing commercial and residential neighborhood. Meanwhile, the High Line is one of New York’s most popular tourist attractions.
A second phase of the High Line extension would extend the northwestern end of the High Line, which currently terminates at 34th St. and 12th Ave., northward past the Javits Center before turning west to cross the West Side Highway and end at Pier 76. Cuomo is forcing the tow pound to vacate the Hudson River Park pier, which is due to be redeveloped with both park and commercial uses.
Ben Brown, the managing partner of Brookfield Property Group, said, “The central element of Brookfield’s Manhattan West complex will be a 2-acre landscaped public plaza that will be surrounded by 240,000 square feet of curated restaurants and shops and enlivened year-round with public events, art installations and an ice rink programmed, in part, by the NHL. The High Line extension, which will link the new Moynihan Train Hall to the Manhattan West plaza and the rest of the High Line, will be a major addition to the entire area, making it easier and more enjoyable for pedestrians to access and navigate the neighborhood.”
Robert Hammond, co-founder and executive director of Friends of the High Line, said, “We are excited to work with the governor’s office and Brookfield on this opportunity to better connect residents, workers and visitors to public spaces, cultural institutions, businesses and vital transportation hubs on the West Side. We look forward to working with the state and our neighbors over the coming months to advance this unique public access project.”
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