Andrew Cuomo’s resignation last month left the fate of several of his pet projects up in the air. At least one — his proposed extension of Manhattan’s High Line — is going ahead.
The Empire State Development Corporation on Tuesday voted to move forward with the disgraced former governor’s plan to extend the elevated park to Moynihan Train Hall and the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
Renderings of the proposed extension of Manhattan’s High Line
Doug Carr, executive director of the Moynihan Station Development Corporation, said ESD will provide a grant of up to $20 million to the Friends of the High Line nonprofit and that the remainder of the project’s $60 million cost will come from “partnership entities,” which include Brookfield Properties.
The development corporation’s board of directors approved authorization of a proposed general project plan for the extension and greenlighted a public hearing on the initiative. Carr said planners have already held more than 15 meetings with community stakeholders.
Cuomo’s plan would extend the popular elevated park from its terminus at 10th Avenue and West 30th Street near Hudson Yards to his redevelopment of the Farley Post Office into the Moynihan Train Hall and his proposed Penn Station overhaul, another project jeopardized by his resignation. ESD, the state government’s primary development arm, is controlled by the governor.
The High Line extension would wind its way through Brookfield’s Manhattan West complex, likely benefiting its retail tenants by channeling tourists to it, and its office tenants by providing easy access to the elevated attraction. Another spur at the High Line’s northern end would connect with the Javits Center.
The ESD’s plans to move forward with the project provide a glimpse into the post-Cuomo future under Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Renderings of the proposed extension of Manhattan’s High Line
Several of Cuomo’s more contentious proposals have come under new scrutiny now that opponents see an opportunity to affect their trajectories.
Transit advocates and even some Port Authority staff members are urging Hochul to abandon Cuomo’s plan to build a $2.1 billion AirTrain from LaGuardia Airport to Willets Point. Additionally, Cuomo’s vision to overhaul the Penn Station area with up to 10 new towers sparked pushback even before he stepped down.