Protect the High Line

🚨🚨🚨 The latest spin from Related & Wynn about their casino project gets 🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥🤥 (that’s six pinocchios) and confirms our worst fears. They told the New York Post that their plan is consistent with the uses of the 2009 zoning. Let’s review why that’s false, misleading or disingenuous in six different ways. 1 🤥: In the original Special Hudson Yards District zoning, all smaller building sites were shorter than HY's Edge at 1296'--going from 320' to 850/950'. In the new plan, the much larger buildings start at 1180' and go even higher than HY's Edge to 1376' 2 🤥: Current zoning does not permit a 1,700 room mega resort without a special permit unless it is part of a gaming facility – but a gaming facility has not been approved for the site. 3 🤥: The community-endorsed plan contemplated by the 2009 zoning was porous, allowing visitors to the High Line to see through to the city. The giant casino podium and new super-tall towers – which creates a block-long 110' tall wall with no midblock connection – literally overshadow the High Line, blocking the views through to the city that are the magic of the High Line. None of these were contemplated, much less permitted by the 2009 zoning. Visitors would have to be 30 feet tall (!) to experience the views in the developer’s new video. That’s one of many reasons why the new plan is not permitted without a whole new environmental approval. 4 🤥: It anticipates at least 3,454 units, and as many as 5,700 units, of much needed new housing. The casino plan reduces housing by more than half. 5 🤥: The 2009 zoning did not permit a casino. (Only the 2024 citywide text amendment did, and only if the developer’s expected casino bid is approved.) 6 🤥: The 2009 zoning contained plans for a new public green space accessible at multiple points to the High Line. The green space in their casino/park plan is more accessible to out of town gamblers than to local residents walking the High Line. The adverse environmental impact is subject to a robust environmental approval process. In conclusion, saying the proposed development is consistent with the approved uses in the 2009 zoning is at best meaningless, and actively misleading. 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.

Ready to protect our park? Take the next step and sign up to be an Online Ambassador! 🌐 We’re holding our first virtual orientation training on Wednesday so you can learn more about how to amplify your reach and find every High Line supporter online. Join us as an Online Ambassador today: https://buff.ly/4cHLN31

💬 Want to spread the word to protect the High Line? We need your help sharing our campaign with your online communities! Whether it’s a local Facebook page or a group chat with friends, we’d love you to share your voice and your passion with High Line supporters and neighbors to get them on board.

📣 ”The High Line is a magical place. Don’t let anybody take that away from us.” 🍎 Educators are the heart of our Chelsea community–we’re so lucky to have the support of teachers like Chris Schilling as we fight to preserve the magic of the High Line. Join our campaign to protect the High Line: https://buff.ly/4bVjNZq

📣 Join us on the High Line to spread the word about our campaign! We need your help to win this fight for our community. 🌱 Are you ready to volunteer? Sign up now and we’ll reach out to you: https://buff.ly/4bVjNZq 📷 Mike Tschappat

The High Line has always meant so much to our community—we’re honored to have Darlene Waters and her family with us in our fight to protect it! “It's part of our family legacy to stand with the High Line.” 🌳 Join our campaign: https://buff.ly/4bVjNZq

👏 We’ve reached an amazing milestone 👏 1,000 supporters have signed on to protect the High Line from a new rezoning plan that would threaten this treasured public space! Can you join us in our fight and help us reach 2,000 supporters? ✍️ Sign up to protect the High Line now: https://buff.ly/4bVjNZq 📸: Rowa Lee

Ensuring our local community is heard by the developers of the Western Rail Yards is crucial—and the lack of community input is one of the largest shortcomings of the new rezoning plan. 📣 Want to help protect the High Line? Join us: https://buff.ly/4bVjNZq 📸: Rowa Lee

Sally Greenspan, president of the Council of Chelsea Block Associations, shares our concerns about the proposed rezoning of the Western Rail Yards. 📝 What does the High Line mean to you? Take our survey: https://buff.ly/46bKOXe 📸: Amelia Krales

In 2009, community stakeholders coalesced around a rezoning agreement that promised up to 5,700 units of housing development in the Western Rail Yards. The new rezoning application proposed to replace the 2009 agreement could mean reducing the number of planned housing units by more than 2,000, severely impacting the local area. Join our campaign and help us preserve the interests of our community! 📣 Sign up now: https://buff.ly/4bVjNZq 📸: Amelia Krales