High Line Blog

This week's issue of Chelsea Now features an editorial making the case for preserving the entire High Line at the rail yards. The Villager also ran the editorial.

The piece focuses on the High Line's ability to add value to the site by increasing the value of the surrounding real estate, drawing tourists to the area, serving as an invaluable connector to three West Side neighborhoods, and lending some historic context to the site.

A standing-room only crowd packed Cooper Union's Great Hall on Monday night to hear leading architects from the five developer teams present their visions for the Rail Yards. Each team made a 20-minute slide presentation focusing on the design of their proposal. Many were careful to mention that the designs were preliminary and that renderings were merely illustrative of design principles.

The MTA is taking public input for the five developer proposals until December 14. After the designated public comment period, a committee made up of representatives from the MTA and the HYDC will make a recommendation to the MTA Board, who will then be responsible for selecting the developer. This is a very short window of time to make your voice heard, and it's crucial that the agency know the public demands accountability in this process.

You can comment directly to the MTA in one of two ways: