Just for clarity, the location of the proposed residential tower on the site via GoogleEarth...
Meanwhile, the hypocritical Friends of the High Line came out so vociferously against buildings along the High Line in Hudson Yards, but are very much in favor of this, as it will benefit them greatly.
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“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
….. That brief détente appears to be over now, though, at least in the Meatpacking District. The city released its request for proposals for the Little West 12th Street site on Wednesday and would like any project to include up to 600 residential units. This would require the tower to stand more than 500 feet tall, according to the city's Economic Development Corp. Prominent local organization Village Preservation has called it "ludicrously oversized," while the normally pro-development Bottcher has called it "obviously out of scale for the Meatpacking District" and asked the city to pause the development process.
This resistance certainly does not doom the project. The city did indeed issue its RFP despite Bottcher's objections and said it hopes to have the whole project finished by the end of 2027, indicating it remains confident in its prospects. The building may ultimately end up shorter, but even if it doesn't and Bottcher remains opposed, the council could just approve it anyway, as it did with the aforementioned Blood Center project. Former local Councilman Ben Kallos insisted that building was too tall up until the final vote, but the council still voted in favor of it — the only recent notable instance of the body overriding its tradition of "member deference."
The height argument is like a villain from a slasher movie franchise: It just won't die. However, it is unlikely to kill the Meatpacking District project.
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“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
Not likely. I would say there's a little more room to stand for this one in that regard, but even then I wouldn't count on a height chop. Both are city developments, and they aren't going to cut the number of units being proposed simply because some people object to height.
The site in both locations being constrained as they are, there is no room for that. It's the City of Yes now, and every neighborhood is going to have to carry some of the "burden" of larger structures, at least so says the mayor.
yeah i know. there is the didactic rational and then there is the irl political rationale. the mayor is running for reelection, if he can stay out of trouble that is, so the city of yes is actually the city of we will work something out so we can all ‘win’ and save face. and he can keep his votes. bet.
yeah i know. there is the didactic rational and then there is the irl political rationale. the mayor is running for reelection, if he can stay out of trouble that is, so the city of yes is actually the city of we will work something out so we can all ‘win’ and save face. and he can keep his votes. bet.
No, that's just you reading your own political nonsense into it. The City of Yes has passed, and that's thanks to actions at both the state and city level. The City will not reduce the number of units they are planning to build, and especially due to NIMBYism. There will be buildings larger than previously allowed all over the city, and that was the entire plan. No where in any of the legislation does it say "we will work something out". That was the old way of doing business.
__________________ NEW YORK is Back!
“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
NYCEDC Continues to Advance the Reimagining of Gansevoort Square, Announce Selected Developer to Build New Mixed-Income Housing Units on Residential Site
Oct 31 2025
Quote:
Gansevoort Square Partners, a Joint Venture Comprised of Douglaston Development and Kinwood Partners, Selected to Build 590 Units of New, High-Quality, Mixed-Income Housing Units, Ground Floor to Feature Local Retail, and Community Spaces Enhancing the Cultural Corridor
Up to 55 Percent of Units to be Permanently Affordable, Exceeding 50 Percent RFP Goal, Without the Use of HPD Subsidy
The Gansevoort Square Redevelopment Project—Including Residential Site and Whitney Museum Expansion—Expected to Generate 3,700 Construction Jobs, 160 Permanent Jobs, and $1.1 Billion in Economic Impact
Advances Broader Commitment of the Reimagining of Gansevoort Square and Cementing Meatpacking District as Premier Global Destination and Economic Engine, Announced in Mayor Adams’ Fourth State of the City Address
[...]
Following today’s announcement, the development team will begin site investigations and advance its designs ahead of residential construction, which is expected to begin as early as 2028. The project anticipates certifying into the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) by early 2027, with a goal of ULURP approval by the end of 2027.
The city chose an “emerging developer” for a major Meatpacking District project. Some call it a “mockery”
EDC’s Kinwood Partners selection raises questions about intent of designation
By Kathryn Brenzel
November 17, 2025
Quote:
When the city began its search for developers of a site in the Meatpacking District, the request for proposals encouraged inclusion of an “emerging developer.”
Such a developer, the RFP described, had completed fewer than 10 projects in the past decade, each with fewer than 150 residential units, no more than 100,000 square feet and a cost below $30 million.
Still, the developer couldn’t be completely green; they needed some experience finishing projects in New York City or other urban areas.
An emerging developer wasn’t a requirement of the project application, but prioritizing a more diverse applicant pool was part of the city’s commitment, according to the RFP, to “reduce the barriers to entry into the real estate community.” More than 10 teams applied for the project, part of a development dubbed Gansevoort Square, according to the city’s Economic Development Corporation.
The EDC selected Kinwood Partners alongside Douglaston Development to build 590 housing units on a city-owned site. Kinwood would seem to fit the bill. The firm hasn’t developed anything, but it is led by someone who spent a decade working for a major real estate investment trust as well as on projects in the neighborhood.
David Himmel, former chief operating officer at Jamestown and son of Leslie Wohlman Himmel, co-founder of investment firm Himmel & Meringoff Properties, is Kinwood’s founder. His firm’s selection has raised questions about the intent of designations like “emerging developer” in public-private endeavors.
That’s because while Himmel fits the criteria on paper, he’s also a real estate scion who already held an executive role at a multi-billion-dollar REIT.
__________________ NEW YORK is Back!
“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
“Office buildings are our factories – whether for tech, creative or traditional industries we must continue to grow our modern factories to create new jobs,” said United States Senator Chuck Schumer.
i certainly hope the whitney expansion looks a hell of a lot better than a giant blank wall right up against the highline.
they could take a few notes from the stepped back existing whitney.
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