New renderings show what $12B Hudson Yards casino proposal would look like from the High Line
Dog park at Hudson Yards West with the High Line above. All renderings courtesy of Related Companies and Wynn Resorts
Related Companies and Wynn Resorts released new renderings of their $12 billion proposal to build a huge mixed-use development anchored by a casino on the western, undeveloped portion of Hudson Yards. The images show how the “Hudson Yards West” proposal, which includes a resort and casino, a 5.6-acre public park, 1,500 new homes, a public school, and office space, would potentially impact the surrounding neighborhood, including the High Line. Supporters of the elevated park concerned the new development would affect the High Line’s sightlines and sunlight have launched a campaign against the project.
Earlier this year, Related filed plans calling for three new skyscrapers, including an 80-story residential tower with 1,500 apartments, with 324 designated affordable. The plan also calls for an office tower with over 2 million square feet of office space and a casino and hotel resort run by Wynn Resort. The developers proposed a hotel with 1,750 rooms, including 250 “extended stay units.”
The project area is bounded by West 30th and West 33rd Streets and 11th and 12th Avenues and requires the construction of a platform over two-thirds of the 13-acre site of the rail yard that resides below ground. The site is located next to the first part of Hudson Yards, which opened in 2019.
The proposal includes “Hudson Green,” a 5.6-acre public park designed by Hollander Design and Sasaki, under a master plan by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Comparable in size to Bryant Park, Hudson Green will offer sweeping views of the Hudson River, featuring open lawns, gardens, playscapes, and groves that create a seamless connection along the west side, according to the developers.
Related says the project would create 5,000 permanent union jobs and 35,000 union construction jobs during development.
“The next phase of Hudson Yards is a $12 billion total project investment in New York’s future that, if approved by City and State officials, will create tens of thousands of jobs, 1,500 units of housing including hundreds of new affordable apartments, and billions in much-needed revenue for the City and State,” Jeff T. Blau, CEO of Related, said.
“At the center of it all is Hudson Green, a 5.6-acre rolling green park with incredible river vistas, hundreds of trees for hot summer days, gardens, a playground and a dog park. We truly believe it will be an oasis that becomes the new calling card of the neighborhood.”
The proposed development has sparked controversy among local residents and elected officials, who argue that the revised plan takes away most of the housing originally included and that it could harm the High Line, according to W42ST.
Manhattan Community Board 4 opposes the project, arguing it drastically differs from the site’s original 2009 plan, which centered on creating a primarily residential district. The new proposal cuts the number of housing units agreed in the original plan from 5,762 to just 1,507.
Supporters of the High Line, including Alan van Capelle, executive director of Friends of the High Line, also criticized the project for its potential to block views of the skyline and Hudson River, as reported by W42ST.
Friends of the High Line have launched a campaign titled “Protect the High Line at the Rail Yards,” advocating for a plan that preserves views from the High Line and limits the size of the buildings.
“The green space in their casino/park plan is more accessible to out of town gamblers than to local residents walking the High Line,” a spokesperson for the campaign told local news site W42ST.
“The latest video rendering confirms the community’s worst fears about the project design. Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen neighbors deserve better. The West Side belongs to everyone.”
In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the High Line reopened the interim walkway at the Western Rail Yards in June for the first time in two years. The walkway, which measures one-third of a mile and includes the only stretch of the park where its original landscape remains, will close again in October for renovations and reopen next year with a permanent walkway and new seating.
Before moving forward, the project must undergo the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) since it seeks to change the terms of the 2009 rezoning agreement for Hudson Yards.
The original plan called for six buildings, which the most recent plan has reduced to three taller and denser towers. The public school and affordable housing components included in the 2009 rezoning will stay the same.
Related is unlikely to move forward with the project if they fail to obtain a casino license, Related spokesman Jon Weinstein told Crain’s. The developers expect construction on the project to take roughly five years to complete.
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