Two state Assembly members representing Manhattan’s west side are opposed to Related Companies/Wynn’s plan to build a luxury casino at Hudson Yards near the High Line.
“I’ve been very clear: I’m philosophically opposed to a casino on the West Side of Manhattan. The local residents are opposed to it, and until that changes, I’m opposed,” said State Assemblyman Tony Simone.
Simone will sit on a six-member local committee that will vote on whether to recommend the proposed casino to state officials.
“The High Line is a unique and beloved public park designed to get New Yorkers and tourists off our crowded streets and sidewalks and into the air,” Rep. Deborah Glick, chairwoman of the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee, said in a statement provided to The Washington Post.
“Any proposal to block the views from this distinctive vantage point or build adjacent to the High Line would violate the High Line Special District rules and significantly alter the landscape,” she said.
Glick represents the south side of the High Line.
Related Companies – Wynn Resorts in March unveiled renderings of a $12 billion mega-mix of properties it plans to build at Hudson Yards, a former LIRR train graveyard on Manhattan’s west side.
The ambitious proposal calls for a gaming facility and hotel in an 80-story tower overlooking the Hudson River, with a gleaming casino high-rise surrounded by office buildings, condominium towers and a spacious 5.6-acre park.
Tourists walking along the High Line, an elevated railway line that has been converted into a public park and walkway, can pass directly past the site and enter the enormous resort between West 30th and 33rd Streets, and 11th and 12th Avenues.
But supporters of the High Line argue the proposal would disrupt important and iconic views from the elevated parks and walkways.
In a statement Monday, Related Companies urged elected leaders not to rush to judgment.
“Our proposal to transform the West Yards into a massive new park, housing and development that would create tens of thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in new tax revenue and investment in the community has not yet been formally submitted and we expect government leaders to read it before making a decision,” the company said when asked about the political opposition.
“Until then, we will continue to communicate the great benefits this plan will bring to our region and to New York.”
The developer also said it was trying to address concerns about the High Line.
“We have met with High Line 10 times and have made meaningful revisions to our proposal in direct response to the concerns they raised. As a good neighbor, and in the spirit of constructive dialogue, we look forward to them discussing any further concerns with us directly,” Related said.
Manhattan Community Board 4 previously challenged the proposal, saying the developer had not yet made good on a 2009 promise to build more apartments on the West Side as part of another Hudson Yards project.
Related Win Casinos is one of a number of potential bidders expected to win one of three coveted downstate casino licenses in the New York City area.
State gambling regulators are expected to award licenses by the end of next year, and the winning bidder will have to pay the state a minimum license fee of $500 million.
Other proposals still have thorny issues that will take time to resolve.
Mets owner Steve Cohen plans to partner with Hard Rock to build an $8 billion casino and entertainment complex next to Citi Field, but needs state legislation to get the rights to do so. The proposal has not passed the state legislature.
Other casino bidders, including the SL Green/Caesars Entertainment plan for Times Square and Thor Equities & Partners’ proposal for Brooklyn’s Coney Island, have also struggled with land-use issues and community opposition.
