Hudson Yards Casino Project Fails to Earn Support of Manhattan President

A Hudson Yards casino project proposed by Wynn Resorts and Related Companies was dealt a blow after Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine denounced the plans. 

“A site the size of the Western Rail Yard could help transform our borough’s housing landscape, and I am eager to see a path forward for development at the Western Rail Yard,” Levine said in a statement. “But we need to get it right.” 

The proposal is one of several that are up for three casino licenses that will be made available by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul later this year.

Friends of the High LineCause of dissension

The Hudson Yards casino project has faced lots of opposition in its journey. One of its biggest opponents is the Friends of the High Line, a nearby park whose views would be obstructed by the project’s plans for massive towers. 

Locals have also advocated for additional housing units than what are called for in the plan. Related originally agreed to build 3,454-5,700 units in Hudson Yards, though it later trimmed that down to just 1,500. 

Only 324 of those units would be classified as “affordable.” 

However, a spokeswoman for the company said that the plans cannot be amended without sacrificing the entire project.

“The site cannot be developed without first paying for the $2 billion platform over the rail yards, and unfortunately, it is simply not viable to pay for the platform with housing,” Natalie Ravits told Crain’s.

Ravits did note that Related already amended its plans four times and met with community members 10 different times. The project would not create an estimated 5,000 permanent union jobs and 35,000 temporary construction jobs.

Struggling to make headway

While Related is content with its revised plans, it is going to take some convincing to get Levine on board. He implored the company to restore the housing plans from its original agreement or “substantially” increase the amount of “affordable” housing units.

“I have been a fierce advocate for identifying sites for housing across our borough,” Levine wrote. “And it is with our housing shortage in mind that I have grave concern for a plan that does not achieve its full housing potential.” 

He also noted that his office received “thousands of petitions, letters, emails, and phone calls,” from supporters and detractors of the plan.

Manhattan Community Board 4 voted unanimously in January to reject Related’s proposal after being encouraged to do so by Levine.

“People want to live and work there,” said Paul Devlin, co-chair of MCB4’s Clinton-Hell’s Kitchen Land Use Committee. “So let’s figure this out together. And BP Levine seems to be leading the way on that. Let’s have conversations about how to develop a good, vibrant neighborhood along the west side of Manhattan.” 

While progress has been hard to come by, that is not unique to the Hudson Yards effort. Projects in Coney Island, Queens, and the Bronx have also struggled to make headway in the build-up to the eventual licensing decision.