ALBANY, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo is unveiling a proposal in his 2021 State of the State address to connect the High Line with the new Moynihan Train Hall.
Under the plan, an L-shaped elevated walkway would be built from the High Line at 10th Avenue and 30th Street, stretching along Dyer Avenue before turning north and connecting to a public space at Brookfield's new Manhattan West complex across from the entrance to the train hall.
The extension would create a new public space and help ease foot traffic in the neighborhood, the governor said.
"This will be the most ambitious redevelopment that New York City has seen in decades," Cuomo said in a press release ahead of the speech. "When the private sector economy lags, state governments build infrastructure and spur development. The beautiful Moynihan Train Hall is open, the renovation of Penn Station and this High Line extension project begin this year. This connection is part of a district-wide redevelopment of the West Side that will jumpstart the private market in a post-COVID world."
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"The central element of Brookfield's Manhattan West complex will be a 2-acre landscaped public plaza that will be surrounded by 240,000 square feet of curated restaurants and shops and enlivened year-round with public events, art installations and an ice rink programmed, in part, by the NHL," Brookfield Property Group Managing Partner Ben Brown said. "The High Line extension, which will link the new Moynihan Train Hall to the Manhattan West plaza and the rest of the High Line, will be a major addition to the entire area, making it easier and more enjoyable for pedestrians to access and navigate the neighborhood."
The New York Times reports the $60 million project would be financed by public and private funds.
It's the first phase of two planned extensions of the High Line.
According to the governor's office, "The second phase will extend the northwestern end of the High Line, which currently terminates at 34th Street and 12th Avenue, northward past the Javits Center before turning west to cross the West Side Highway and end at Pier 76."
Given the High Line's popularity, co-founder Robert Hammond said he has fielded a lot of requests for extensions and connections over the years.
While these requests were often denied to private spaces and businesses, Hammond said the prospect of what he calls a "civic connection" was too good to ignore.
"People have been talking about a lot of different connections since we began this 21 years ago," Hammond said. "What made me really excited about this is the idea of connecting important New York City assets of Hudson River Park, Javits, Hudson Yards, Manhattan West, Moynihan, Penn Station."
He presents it not just as an extension to the park, but also as a safer pedestrian route through the area.
"To give a safe way for New Yorkers to be able to move east and west is really valuable," Hammond said.
There's not timeline yet on when the project might be done.