NEW YORK | Hudson Yards Phase 2 | 1,376 - 1,189 - 1,180 FT | 80/80/74 FLOORS

[NYguy]

There's a direct connection planned from the High Line to the casino, but I also hope that the governor delivers the talked about pedestrian connection from the High Line to Hudson River Park. Plans have been revealed for updating the stretch of the park directly bordering the railyards...



https://w42st.com/post/hudson-river-...lion-redesign/

[Sky88]

It's a shame that none of the builders thought of proposing a casino on the sea. Pier 76 could have been better exploited with two large cruise ships. One used as a hotel and the other as a casino, without having all these unnecessary problems with the High Line, parks, housing, schools etc.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Sky88

It's a shame that none of the builders thought of proposing a casino on the sea. Pier 76 could have been better exploited with two large cruise ships. One used as a hotel and the other as a casino, without having all these unnecessary problems with the High Line, parks, housing, schools etc.

Google Westway project to get an idea. No one wants to come close to that. James Dolan has said he considered building a Sphere (like the one he built in Vegas) on a pier in the Hudson, but it was costs prohibitive.




https://www.amny.com/opinion/make-new-york-city-work/

Op-Ed | How to make New York City work for working-class New Yorkers


By Rev. Dr. Johnnie Melvin Green
July 26, 2024

As the pastor and founder of Mobilizing Preachers and Communities (MPAC), a civil rights and faith-based organization in Harlem dedicated to justice and equality, I am deeply familiar with our city’s cost of living crisis. Every day, I hear from my congregation and community about the escalating prices of rent, food, and utilities, all while unemployment remains stubbornly flat.

....As the cost of basic needs continues to rise faster than earnings, middle-class New Yorkers are struggling to keep up. Our city is in desperate need of opportunities that bring new jobs and economic benefits to those who need them most.

Fortunately, such an opportunity is on the horizon. With three downstate casino licenses now up for grabs, New York has a chance to extend an economic ladder to the middle class. The debate over whether New York City should have a casino is long past… three are coming and we must make sure we maximize this opportunity to create jobs, economic development and the community benefits all the operators are promising.

It seems obvious to me that one of those casinos should be located in tourist-rich Manhattan, where it would be accessible to New Yorkers across the city and state. While no operators have made their full bids public yet, early details about a casino at the Western Rail Yards on Manhattan’s far west side are particularly compelling. The $12 billion investment would create 35,000 construction jobs and 5,000 new permanent union jobs–jobs that many folks in my community could benefit from.

The economic impact of a new casino in Manhattan would be far-reaching. Creating a new destination would benefit local business owners, leading to potential business expansion and the creation of even more jobs. This development would not only provide immediate economic relief but additional assets like affordable housing, a new school and a nearly six-acre park, which would be long lasting.

Investing in developments like the one planned for the Western Rail Yards have yielded incredibly high returns for some communities across the country. The most comparable example to a Manhattan casino, the Encore Boston Harbor Hotel and Casino, has generated over $1.3 billion in direct and indirect economic impact for the region while supporting more than 9,900 jobs, according to a report from the Economic & Public Policy Research (EPPR) at UMass Amherst. This is just one example that illustrates how Wynn can make an impact in New York City, as casinos have in other cities as well.

Despite the potential for a big return, there is significant opposition from wealthy public interest groups. Recent opposition to the rail yards project uses coded language like “protecting the character of the neighborhood.” Our response must be clear: we cannot allow the wealthy to block jobs and housing for working-class New Yorkers. As our city becomes increasingly unaffordable, we must prioritize the needs of all residents, especially those in communities like mine.

A Manhattan casino offers a unique chance for economic advancement that our community desperately needs and the rail yards proposal is particularly strong. With proper regulation and community engagement, this project can bring transformative benefits to our city.

The success of this project could serve as a model for future developments across the city. By demonstrating how a large-scale project can bring tangible benefits to local communities, we can encourage more initiatives that prioritize the needs of working-class New Yorkers. This approach can help bridge the growing divide between the wealthy and the working class, creating a more prosperous city for all New Yorkers.

We cannot let the privileged stop communities of color and the working class. For the future of our city, we must embrace new developments that will strengthen and build up our middle class and our economy. There isn’t a moment to waste. We must act now to secure a better future for our city and all its residents.

[NYguy]

https://www.otdowntown.com/news/huds...port-JY3526964

Hudson River Park Proposes $65M to Develop Stretch from Intrepid to Heliport





26 Jul 2024

The Hudson River Park Trust, keeper of the four-mile long park, informed Community Board four that it has begun planning for the improvement of the stretch of park from the Heliport to the Intrepid and has set aside $65 million for the work.

Meantime, Related Companies says it wants to replace its 2009 plan for developing the western end of Hudson Yards with a new $10 billion proposal for a casino and resort.

This being New York, neither plan has been greeted with unmitigated hurrahs.

“This is penny wise and pound foolish,” a longtime critic of the Hudson River Park Trust, Tom Fox, said of its announcement. “Let’s not deal with chump change. Let’s really design the section of the park as it should be designed and stop kicking the can down the road.”

He said that a comprehensive plan for this “missing piece” of the Hudson River Park should include a pedestrian bridge across route 9A (the West Side Highway, to most New Yorkers) at the Convention Center, robust flood resiliency against rising tides in the river and the removal of bus parking in that stretch of the park and of the heliport, long a bane to users of the park.

For its part, the Park Trust told Community Board Four it was in the early stages of planning, and was mainly seeking to introduce the planning team to the community. They said they had hired the architectural firm, Marvel Designs, to begin planning the new stretch of park.

The Park Trust said the $65 million for building these 17 blocks of the park would include state and local funds as well as revenue from development in the park. Governor Hochul signed legislation the other day approving private development on half of Pier 76, the former city tow pound, while preserving the other half for the park. The site is immediately across from The Javits Center.

The city 15 years ago approved a development plan for west Hudson Yards that was heavy with residential housing. But the developer, Related Properties, has never proceeded with that plan and recently asked to set it aside in favor of building a casino and hotel tower, one of eleven proposals in and around New York City seeking to win one of the three downstate casino licenses to be approved by the legislature

The Hudson Yards Casino proposal has drawn stiff opposition from the non-profit which run the High Line, the park on an old railroad that wraps around the western edge of the Hudson rail yards

To resist the casino plan, The High Line has just launched a Protect the High Line at the Rail Yards campaign.

“The western railyard was contemplated as a counterpoint to the eastern rail yard,” said Preeti Sodhi, the High Lines senior director of community and government relations. “Where the eastern rail yard is largely commercial and retail, the western rail yards proposed over 3,500 residential units, a school and some commercial space at the northern end of the development.”

.....She described the casino plan, undertaken with Wynn, as “a giant podium bigger than six Costco warehouses that will overwhelm the High Line and reduce the amount of housing.”

[mrnyc]

oh man does that awful stretch of the hudson river park need developed. all in for that.

[NYguy]

https://www.playny.com/high-line-lau...rn-rail-yards/

In a press release, High Line noted that its campaign would make sure that any development “protects the iconic nature and experience” of the area.

The Wynn casino proposal, however, “would negatively impact the experience of millions of visitors and obstruct important and iconic views from the High Line.”

Sally Greenspan, president of the Council of Chelsea Block Associations, underscored the “serious housing crisis” faced by Chelsea, one that will not be solved with the proposed Wynn New York City project that will feature an 80-story hotel tower with the gaming facility, another tower for apartments, and a third tower for offices, all surrounding a 5.6-acre park.

“Chelsea needs more housing, not more office space and CCBA opposes the potential inclusion of a casino,” Greenspan said in the press release. “CCBA supports the Protect the High Line campaign to get the Rail Yards plan back on track.”

I still can't get my head around the stupidity of these comments. They should just come out agains a casino full stop. At least that would be an argument that holds water. But what they're saying is just stupid. And furthermore, the proposed office tower is the same size as the one that is already planned for the site. So that argument holds no water either.




Anyway, hadn't been to the interim side of the High Line (around the western yards) in a while, since it had been closed off But got a chance to visit again, and see what these bats could possibly be talking about...


JULY 28, 2024


Part of the charm of the High Line is the way it winds it's way though buildings, and so many new developments have risen up around it. So saying that another building would ruin the experience is just ludicrous, especially when you consider that the alternative would include MORE towers.

1.



2.



3.




Work continues on the shell for the new rail tunnel, part of Gateway.


4.




The casino (Tower C) would sit just west of 35 Hudson Yards.


5.




Towers A & B would sit just west of 15 Hudson Yards.


6.



7.



8.



9.



10.



11.



12.



13.



14.



15.




The "iconic" views from the High Line (that WILL be altered either way).


16.



17.



18.



19.



20.




The western end of this block (33rd St) will remain open from the west side, underneath the new 33rd Street that will be created to bring the street up to grade with the platform (and the casino).

21.




You can see why the platform itself would be above grade...


22.



23.




The other Javits site the state has yet to issue an RFP for would be just north of the casino, west of 55 Hudson. Somebody remind the governor it exists.

24.




Trains at street level...

25.



26.

[NYguy]

BTW, it's been mentioned before, but only one of the planned towers (the casino complex) would be built above the actual rail platform.



https://youtu.be/FNSXtKYMEZI?si=MVS8o6Fn-X16Knz9

[NYguy]

https://www.buyingnyc.com/news?page=11

Q&A: Related's CEO makes the case for more offices, less housing and a James Bond-worthy casino


08/07/2024

Let’s start by describing your casino proposal and what it would bring to the city.

We’ve partnered with Wynn Resorts to develop a world-class resort that would anchor the development of the western rail yards, including a 2 million square-foot office building and another 1 million square-foot residential building. It would include great community benefits, including 324 affordable housing units, a K-8 public school, and a large-scale public open space that would be bigger than Bryant Park.

There is no comparable economic-development opportunity in the city, and there hasn’t been anything like this since probably the first half of Hudson Yards or, going back in time, Rockefeller Center or the redevelopment of the World Trade Center. There would be over 35,000 construction jobs and over 5,000 permanent jobs in the resort alone.


What do you think your odds are of winning the casino license given that elected officials including State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, City Council member Erik Bottcher and Assemblyman Tony Simone have not been speaking very warmly about your bid?

We think we have lots of public support for this project for all the reasons that we’ve just described. And we will continue to talk to the elected officials and the community groups as we go through this process, which will continue well into 2025.

Community Board 4 has criticized your plan because you’re proposing to build just 1,500 apartments in the western half of Hudson Yards, and under a 2009 zoning deal Related agreed to build 5,700. Why are you backing away when there’s a big housing shortage?

So the zoning actually created the flexibility to adjust for economic conditions. And what we have seen over time is increased demand for first-class new office buildings and less demand for luxury condos, more demand for rental and affordable housing. What’s being eliminated is a super-luxury condominium building in the middle of the park.

Manhattan’s office vacancy rate is about 20%. Does it give you pause to add 2 million square feet of new office space in a market like this?

We have seen unprecedented demand here at Hudson Yards for these new modern office towers and are very confident in our ability to lease this new building.


If you don’t win the casino license, would you still build a new office tower, housing and a school in Hudson Yards?

It would not be on the same timeline at all because the infrastructure costs of building this platform have escalated so dramatically, and the resort is really the economic engine that’s paying for a big portion of this. I couldn't tell you when the western yards would get developed absent the resort but it still would be.


The nonprofit Friends of the High Line also doesn’t like the idea of a Hudson Yards casino. Is there any room for compromise?

We’ve met with them over 10 times and have actually made significant modifications to our plan based on all their physical suggestions on site. We’re hopeful that we're able to continue the dialogue with them. But if their real desire is to have a kind of anti-development approach, then you know, I’m not sure there’s going to be anything to work out here.


When Hudson Yards was first developed, it was granted significant property tax discounts, called PILOTs, which have about another 20 years to go. As part of the western expansion, would you seek a similar discount arrangement with the city?

The answer is we’re not sure yet. We have not gotten to the tax component of this, so I don’t really have an answer for you.


You’ve said you envision a James Bond sort of casino, very high-end. Would there be a dress code?

Nobody wants to pick up Las Vegas and drop it into New York City because that’s not what Hudson Yards is about. This will be a resort that’s designed to be consistent with what we have here at Hudson Yards; we would design something that is reflective of New York and fits in New York. People will come from around the world to go to a Wynn Resort in New York City.

You know, many casino resorts are very closed and insular where you go in and you never go out, but the whole idea here is to get people to New York and have them experience New York. We in particular decided not to build a theater at the resort, but instead would put in a concierge who would help guests get to Broadway shows or to the Shed.

[ChiND]

I hope that NIMBY putzses’ idiocy don’t result in the casino being a 900’ mediocre tower.

[Ahoi]

I don't think the casino will ever be built here anyway, rather it will be converted to Times Square. If the NIMBYs continue to be stubborn, only a few skyscrapers of around 900 feet will be built here. There is unused land here why not leave the Western Yards empty like 418 11th Ave.
Affordable housing is more likely to be built here, the future with striking towers belongs more to Park Ave, Grand Central Zone and Midtown East.


I think the Affirmation Tower is a canceled project.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by Ahoi

I don't think the casino will ever be built here anyway, rather it will be converted to Times Square. If the NIMBYs continue to be stubborn, only a few skyscrapers of around 900 feet will be built here.

This site is more likely than any of the others to get a casino license. The NIMBYs have no say over the height of whatever get's built here. If Related reverts back to the original site plan, it will take longer to get the site fully built, due to most of it being residential. But there will be at least one, possibly two supertalls built on site. Further, it's a site bordered by numerous supertalls, so that argument really doesn't hold any weight, which is why now they're leaning on the "High Line" and "Housing" arguments. If they really cared about anything other than being anti-casino, they would insist Related build more affordable housing units instead of the extra luxury units they're insisting Related build.

[NYguy]

If you don’t win the casino license, would you still build a new office tower, housing and a school in Hudson Yards?

It would not be on the same timeline at all because the infrastructure costs of building this platform have escalated so dramatically,
and the resort is really the economic engine that’s paying for a big portion of this.

I couldn't tell you when the western yards would get developed absent the resort but it still would be.

The awarding of the license will ensure the second phase gets built at once, just as the first phase did.

[SamLYNY]

This proposal is by far my favorite casino bid, and I'm afraid of what may or may not rise here without it. I know they say the development would still happen, but I'd be willing to bet it won't be nearly as good without the resort to bolster funding.

I think the high line would benefit from having a more polished northern end, and like NYguy has said the whole appeal is that it weaves its way through the city. The addition of a resort would only improve the experience for people. The argument against just doesn't make sense - and risks even more resort-less towers rising around it, potentially lacking that polish it needs.

My fingers are crossed for this one, and it's such a shame the process is being drawn out so much. With this resort, I think the MW/Moynihan connector and surrounding area/businesses would see a lot more foot-traffic too.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by SamLYNY

This proposal is by far my favorite casino bid, and I'm afraid of what may or may not rise here without it. I know they say the development would still happen, but I'd be willing to bet it won't be nearly as good without the resort to bolster funding.

I think the high line would benefit from having a more polished northern end, and like NYguy has said the whole appeal is that it weaves its way through the city. The addition of a resort would only improve the experience for people. The argument against just doesn't make sense - and risks even more resort-less towers rising around it, potentially lacking that polish it needs.

The thing they are most against here is the casino. Usually, it's the big towers (which wouldn't make sense because there will be big towers either way). But it's basically the anti-casino crowd. They don't care about anything else, including the usaul affordable housing.

The office component is the same size as what was originally planned, so no argument there. But Related will have to phase in development of so many residential towers. Who knows how long that would take. Meanwhile, if they get the casino license, the site would be built out in 5 years they say.

[SamLYNY]

You're right there. But I think without the backbone of resort revenue, a non-resort based development just won't compare to the proposal we're seeing in those renderings, for public green space, businesses, and what it does to improve the high line - although it could, and I could be wrong.

What I know for sure is that this proposal will spur the area into life, bring in revenue, and it will make that happen a lot quicker. It's a win win.

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by SamLYNY

You're right there. But I think without the backbone of resort revenue, a non-resort based development just won't compare to the proposal we're seeing in those renderings, for public green space, businesses, and what it does to improve the high line - although it could, and I could be wrong.

What I know for sure is that this proposal will spur the area into life, bring in revenue, and it will make that happen a lot quicker. It's a win win.

The one thing about the old plan for the western half is that being mostly residential, it probably wouldn’t feel very public. The casino resort, while upscale, would be an open entity. And then there’s everything that comes with it.