Protect the High Line has staunchly opposed the proposed casino project at Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s west side and is now lobbying the local City Councilmember, Erik Bottcher, to oppose the zone alterations approved by the City Planning Commission.
Just Say No
New York City-based real estate development firm Related Companies has altered its original zoning plans for a planned casino project with Nevada-based Wynn Resorts, and the City Planning Commission has sent those revisions to the New York City Council. Several community groups have opposed the plan, and one in particular, Protect the High Line, is calling on its local City Councilmember, Erik Bottcher, to vote against it.
“Under established land use review procedures, the City Council will now have about two months to approve or reject the rezoning. Customarily, the Council defers to the local City Councilmember — in this case, Erik Bottcher,” according to a statement issued by Protect the High Line.
Hudson Yards, along with Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and Greenwich Village, comprise Bottcher’s district, and if the Council does indeed follow his lead, a pivotal decision awaits. Should Bottcher agree with his constituents, then it could substantially alter the entire project and perhaps put it in jeopardy.
“The Related/Wynn proposal, which includes a casino and high-rise towers, would significantly alter the character of the High Line, obstructing views, reducing sunlight, and eliminating thousands of previously promised housing units,” said the group in the press release. “Unlike the 2009 rezoning agreement—crafted with community input—the new plan was introduced without meaningful engagement from local stakeholders.”
Opposition Mounts
It is important to note that there are 11 proposals for only three highly coveted downstate casino licenses. But considering two of those licenses will likely go to existing racinos, Resorts World New York City Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens and MGM Empire City at Yonkers Raceway, the competition narrows to nine heavily financed groups vying for the remaining casino license.
Therefore, support from community groups is imperative, but opposition to the Wynn proposal continues to mount. City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander is the latest influential politician voicing his displeasure at the Hudson Yards casino project.
“The proposal to rezone Hudson Yards would undermine one of New York’s greatest urban transformation stories of recent years — and, even worse, dramatically decrease the amount of housing that was agreed upon there, amidst a grave housing affordability crisis,” said Lander, a progressive candidate who is running for mayor in June’s Democratic primary.
“I call on the developer to withdraw their current proposal and to work with the community on one that delivers more housing and access to open space, not less.”
Several criticisms have been levied against the Related/Wynn project, including a dearth of housing that was originally slated to be 5,700 units promised by Related Companies in 2009, to where it currently stands at just 1,500 units, only 324 of which are designated as affordable housing.
Another inflection point is how the $12 billion project will affect the area’s High Line, a 1.45-mile stretch of old railway line that has been transformed into an elevated walkway replete with local art and green space. Friends of the High Line executive director Alan van Capelle has made his group’s opinion clear, saying, “The High Line is a cherished public space for the community, and Related should abandon this flawed proposal that has generated overwhelming community opposition.
