this is hot off the press today and supa big wow exciting stuff.

 

the design team is releasing renderings (in full) of the upcoming "highline" park in manhattan tomorrow. fyi --- the highline is a cool looking abandoned elevated railway on the westside of manhattan which is being made into an awesome mega-million $$$ urban city park.

 

soooo.....for now here is a sneak peek preview---enjoy!!!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's really cool. Neat use of space. Beats walking on the street level anyday.

I'm excited to see that this is progressing. It could really help change the character of the area.

 

    In the first rendering, the highline casts no shadow. Ha!

 

    I have mixed feelings about this. One the good side, re-use of the highline would allow people to get away from cars. On the bad side, access to the highline from the street is difficult.

 

  They say this thing adds six acres of greenspace, but on the other hand it covers six acres of street space below. In one case it covers a whole intersection. The street would probably be better with this thing removed.

 

    In any case the structure is so well built that it will cost a fortune to remove it. The local property owners have wanted it removed for years, but have not been willing to pay for it.

 

-- -----------

 

    It is said that a drawback to the Cincinnati Skywalk system is that it diverts people from the street.

^it winds around and crosses several intersections, yeah. however, it's not at all like el train tracks in that it does not follow directly over a street. so it really does not cover over anything directly and has never had any bearing at all on street ped/car traffic.

 

***check out the rest of the even cooler renderings here (it's a macromedia slideshow so i cant cut&paste):

 

http://www.thehighline.org/design/prelim_design/index.htm

 

 

These renderings are pretty good.  I've heard of this before, but didnt realize it was on an "L"- like structure...I thought it was a big grade-seperation embankment.  But, yeah, very interesting concept....

 

 

Man, I TRIED and TRIED to get involved with this project.  I signed up to volunteer, I interviewed for jobs, I stayed in touch, but nothing ever came of it.  It's very exciting, regardless of their apparently OVERSTAFFED volunteer squad!

 

The issues of street cover are, as Mr. NYC said, not really an issue.  It really just cuts through blocks that were built up around it.  And the intersection that it covers?  I think it creates one of the most interested homages to the old days of mass transit in NYC.  Now that everything in Manhattan is buried, it's pretty amazing to see how this former elevated line just plowed right into its terminal building.  The buildings around there, including the Chelsea Market, have been beautifully restored and the whole thing is a great opportunity for one of the most unique public spaces on the planet. 

 

And Cincinnati street activity versus New York?  No real comparison there...

mgd i know you are heading back home soon, but you might want to sign up here to get e-mailings about the highline progress:

http://www.thehighline.org/

 

***here's a few shots of the highline as it is today:

 

my shot from my nabe

 

the rest of these views are from the "friends of..." website linked above

 

 

as you can see, it runs along the street here out of the way

of anything, which has a lot to do with why it still exists at all!

 

 

a wow shot---it's double-tracked over here!

 

I dunno. I think it's kinda goofy. I'd rather walk along the city streets, than on an elevated right of way. I think it would be pretty unforgiving weather-wise (especially from October to April) and I wouldn't feel safe taking a stroll up there. I refer to a bikeway built next to I-480 here in Cleveland, where it is line with a fence on both sides of the path. So, few people use it because they feel trapped, even though there's lots of people around.

 

I don't know the history of the project. Was a light rail line (to make more frequent stops) considered for this alignment. The west edge of Manhattan doesn't have a subway until you get farther north, and you're west of Central Park, an even then, it's not until you get to 66th Street. I like how the old rail goes through buildings, which makes for a ready-made station. Think of the development opportunities.

 

KJP

 

    Yes, a light rail line was considered, but it was determined that there was not enough traffic to support the line.

kjp sure its goofy, thats why its great! seriously, its the opposite of that, it is a new city park. the benchmark and inspiration is the new le promanade plantee in paris, check it out:

http://www.promenade-plantee.org/

 

funny about the lightrail consideration. that was done long before the mega development that has and continues to occur off the highline. trump's string of westside condo towers is just one example that has sprung up since then. so it would prob get more thought today, but its too late for that. frankly i'm glad, we need more park space not transportation there. as for safety, im sure they will close it up at night. the area has quickly gentrified. we'll see how it goes.

 

 

I think I would visit it only if they let artisans, musicians and an occasional food/ice cream vendor up there! Otherwise, fugheddaboutit!

 

KJP

^haha -- i'm sure those things will be a part of it in the end!

 

fear not, the real estate in the nabes along it is hot as hades and it goes from the meatpacking district (aka the new soho) right thru the middle of the chelsea art gallery district up and into the new proposed jets/olympic stadium. it will be an instant attraction when its all done -- hang on!

 

more today from a "friends of..." emailing i received. the chelsea dia closed last yr and i heard it was going to reopen in brooklyn----guess not! this was also in the nytimes:

 

DIA ART FOUNDATION PLANS NEW MUSEUM NEXT TO THE HIGH LINE

Today The New York Times reports that the Dia Art Foundation plans to construct a new museum adjacent to the High Line. The museum would be located at the corner of Gansevoort and Washington Streets, at the High Line's southern terminus, in the Meatpacking District.

 

About Dia: Dia Art Foundation was founded in 1974. A nonprofit institution, Dia plays a vital role among visual-arts organizations nationally and internationally by initiating, supporting, presenting, and preserving art projects, and by serving as a locus for interdisciplinary art and criticism. Dia presents its permanent collection at Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries, in Beacon, New York; exhibitions and public programming in New York City; and long-term, site-specific projects in the western United States, in New York City, and on Long Island. For more information: http://www.diacenter.org

 

Could someone do this with Cincinnati's skywalks instead of tearing them down? ;)

wow, in today's news are the 1st renderings of

the new 'hotel standard' going up right next to

where the dia museum will be.

it hangs right over the highline!

clik here for a few more interesting shots

http://www.gluckmanmayner.com/

 

Ah that looks terrible :(

yeah, its pretty weird. to the right is the rendering that got me more excited:

 

 

i do like that it interacts with the highline!

this is what i got from an email from "friends of...." today:

 

MAJOR FEDERAL AUTHORIZATION FOR HIGH LINE PROJECT

 

Surface Transportation Board grants railbanking certificate, allowing reuse of New York City's elevated rail structure as pedestrian walkway

 

 

June 13, 2005 (New York, NY)—The High Line project received a crucial federal authorization today, effectively opening the way for the High Line's transformation to public open space.

 

The Surface Transportation Board (STB), the federal body that oversees rail corridors, issued a Certificate of Interim Trail Use (CITU) for the High Line. The CITU enables CSX Transportation, the High Line's current owner, to negotiate a trail use agreement with the City of New York. This agreement would transfer control of the High Line to the City for use as a public walkway and open space.

 

"The STB's ruling is a great win for all New Yorkers," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "It allows us to implement our plans to preserve this valuable historic resource, create a much-needed public open space, and strengthen our city's economy."

 

"Thanks to the STB's ruling, we can move forward with plans to create one of the State's most unique and exciting public open spaces on the West Side of Manhattan," Governor George E. Pataki said. "By using the visionary railbanking program to transform this historic structure, we demonstrate New York's commitment to preserving its heritage and its environment at the same time that we create economic development opportunities for our future."

 

"We're very pleased with the STB's ruling," said John P. Casellini, Vice President for Public Affairs, CSX Corporation. "We look forward to working with the City of New York on an agreement that will allow the High Line to be used for the public's benefit."

 

"This is the most important victory yet for the High Line," said Robert Hammond, co-founder of Friends of the High Line (FHL). "Just six years ago, saving the High Line seemed like an impossible dream—and now it's reality. Thanks to railbanking, which preserves priceless transportation corridors and permits their reuse as public parks and walkways, one of New York City's most exciting preservation and urban planning projects can now move toward construction."

 

 

About the STB Ruling

By issuing a CITU, the STB has enabled the City and CSX Transportation to conclude agreements that will allow the High Line to become a railbanked trail. Railbanking, a method of creating trails from out-of-use rail corridors, was established by a 1983 Congressional amendment to the National Trails Systems Act. There are over 13,000 miles of rail-trails across the country, with nearly 16,000 more in development.

 

The City originally petitioned the STB for the CITU in December 2002. Subsequently, the State of New York and CSX Transportation filed with the STB supporting the City's request. In addition, a group representing the underlying property owners filed with the STB withdrawing its previous objections to railbanking.

 

 

Next Steps

The City of New York and CSX Transportation will proceed to conclude an agreement for trail use on the High Line. This legal structure is expected to include a transfer of ownership of the High Line from CSX Transportation to the City. Ground-breaking is projected for later this year. It is anticipated that the first phase of the High Line to be converted (from Gansevoort Street to 15th Street) will open to the public in late 2007 or early 2008.

 

 

Other Recent Advances for the High Line Project

• Funding: In the fall of 2004, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Gifford Miller announced new capital funding commitments to the High Line project. The City's capital funding commitment now stands at $51.3 million. Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton worked with Congressman Jerrold Nadler to bring $1 million to the project in the FY 2005 omnibus appropriations bill. Congressman Nadler has also included $5 million for the High Line in the six-year transportation bill now moving through Congress; Senators Schumer and Clinton are working to supplement that allocation while the bill is in the Senate. $3 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) funding was allocated to the project by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council's New York City Transportation Coordinating Committee in January 2005. In addition, New York State Assembly Member Richard Gottfried worked to bring $50,000 in State Multi-Modal Transportation Program funds to the High Line.

• Design/MoMA Exhibition: A widely acclaimed Preliminary Design for the first phase of the High Line's transformation (from Gansevoort Street to 15th Street) is on view at the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City, until October 31, 2005. The Preliminary Design was created by Field Operations (landscape architecture), Diller Scofidio + Renfro (architecture), and a team of consultants including experts in engineering, security, lighting, and numerous other disciplines. The Preliminary Design can also be viewed at www.thehighline.org/design.

• Zoning: A rezoning proposal for the West Chelsea neighborhood surrounding the High Line is now moving through the City's public review process. The proposed rezoning includes a number of provisions intended to support the High Line's reuse as a public space. The proposal would also provide opportunities for new residential and commercial development and would enhance the neighborhood's thriving art gallery district. Adoption of the rezoning proposal is expected to take place in June 2005.

• Dia Plans Move to High Line: On May 9, Dia Art Foundation announced a proposal to construct a new museum adjacent to the High Line. The museum would be located at the corner of Gansevoort and Washington Streets, at the High Line's southern terminus, on a City-owned site in the Meatpacking District. Dia seeks to have the main entrance to the new exhibition space on the High Line level. The plan must go through the City's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) before construction can begin.

 

 

High Line Project Background

Since 1999, Friends of the High Line (FHL) has been working to preserve the High Line for reuse as an elevated walkway. The City of New York endorsed the project in 2002, when it filed with the STB for a CITU.

 

The High Line was built in the 1930s as part of the West Side Improvement, a major transportation infrastructure project which eliminated street-level rail crossings from the northern tip of Manhattan down to Spring Street. When rail traffic declined in the 1960s, the southern section of the Line was demolished.

 

Legal disputes about the future of the High Line began in the mid-1980s, after the final train rolled down its tracks pulling a carload of frozen turkeys. Underlying property owners began lobbying for the structure's demolition, arguing that the Line prevented them from developing their properties. A local resident named Peter Obletz fought for the Line's preservation, at one point even purchasing the Line from Conrail (the High Line's owner at that time) for $10. The purchase was later challenged and overturned by the underlying property owners.

 

In 1992, the Interstate Commerce Commission (which later became the STB) issued a conditional abandonment order, which would have allowed demolition of the structure if certain financial conditions were met by the underlying property owners. The attempts to satisfy those conditions were never approved by both the railroad owner and the STB.

 

In 1999, neighborhood residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond founded Friends of the High Line with the mission of converting the structure to an elevated public space—a greenway or promenade—and began building community support.

 

The Giuliani administration favored and worked towards the demolition of the High Line. When Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took office, he directed his administration to take a fresh look at the High Line's potential. In 2002, FHL commissioned an economic feasibility study that showed that the High Line would add value to its surrounding neighborhood, generating $262 million in new tax revenues over a 20-year period. In December of 2002, the City changed its policy and took the first step to converting the High Line to a public walkway by filing with the STB for a CITU. The State of New York and CSX Corporation filed in support of the City's petition in the fall of 2004, and the underlying property owners filed to withdraw their objections to railbanking later that year.

 

 

About Friends of the High Line (FHL)

FHL is a non-profit, 501©(3) organization established to preserve the High Line for reuse as an elevated public open space. Support for the project comes from hundreds of local residents, business-owners, and civic organizations, as well numerous elected officials. For more information on Friends of the High Line, please visit www.thehighline.org.

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: The High Line is currently private property, owned by CSX Transportation, and managed by CSX and the City. At this time, the site is not open to the public, and trespassers will be subject to prosecution.

 

 

Contact:

Joshua David, FHL (212) 206-9922; [email protected]

Robert Hammond, FHL, (212) 206-9922; [email protected]

 

well it looks like kjp and anybody else will have nothing to worry about re visiting the completed highline park with all this redevelopment going on. a master development plan was recently approved -- check it out:

 

Illustrative projected build out under proposed Special West Chelsea District controls.

 

On June 23, 2005, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s proposals for zoning text and map amendments affecting the West Chelsea area in Community District 4 Manhattan. The area is bounded generally by Tenth and Eleventh Avenues from West 30th Street south to West 16th Street. The proposal would create the Special West Chelsea District to provide opportunities for new residential and commercial development, facilitate the reuse of the High Line elevated rail line as a unique linear open space, and enhance the neighborhood’s thriving art gallery district.

 

Highlights:

 

Zoning has been revised to encourage the development of affordable housing

 

On 10th Avenue, 24th – 28th streets the maximum streetwall height was reduced from 145 to 125 feet to ensure new development relates to the scale of existing buildings along this portion of 10th Avenue.

 

 

Sweet news mrnyc!

big news --- highline railbanked -- csx officially donates highline to nyc!

 

***from a friends of the highline email today:

 

 

FHL E-Mail Update

November 16, 2005

 

HIGH LINE RAILBANKED! CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN IN 2006.

 

Dear Friends of the High Line,

 

We are thrilled to share fantastic news with you. Marking the single biggest advance for the High Line project since its inception, the High Line has been railbanked, clearing the way for construction to begin in 2006.

 

Railbanking was our most important goal when we started Friends of the High Line in 1999. This is a historic moment for the project.

 

In order for the High Line to be railbanked, two actions took place.  [1] The City of New York acquired title to the High Line from the railroad, CSX Transportation, Inc.  [2] The City and CSX signed a Trail Use Agreement, permitting the rail structure to be used by the public as a recreational amenity.

 

Please join us in thanking Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the Bloomberg administration, and CSX Transportation, Inc., for their hard work to achieve this crucial advance.  We also thank the Speaker of the New York City Council, Gifford Miller, for his visionary leadership and funding commitments to the High Line; Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton and Representative Jerrold Nadler for the nearly $20 million in federal funds they've brought to the project; and all our elected officials for their longtime support, including Governor George Pataki, State Senator Thomas Duane, State Assembly Members Richard Gottfried and Deborah Glick, Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, and City Council Member Christine Quinn.

 

On a related note, this weekend is your last chance to Creative Time's "The Plain of Heaven," set in an out-of-use meatpacking plant adjacent to the High Line.  It's free to visit the 14 wonderful art pieces (many of them inspired by the High Line's coming transformation).  The rail siding on the top level of the exhibition offers a great view of the southern end of the High Line, which is where construction will begin, starting next year.  For more information, click here.

 

We could not have reached this exciting place without of all the Friends of the High Line.

 

Thank you.

 

Robert Hammond & Joshua David

Co-Founders, Friends of the High Line

 

PS. A note about "Groundbreaking." We had intended to mark railbanking, which paves the way for the start of construction, with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony this month.  But we have chosen instead to celebrate groundbreaking at the start of construction, in a few months time.  We will keep you updated about plans for groundbreaking and any related celebrations via this E-Mail Newsletter.  To subscribe, visit http://www.thehighline.org.

 

 

Read the Official Press Release:

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 16, 2005

 

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES CITY ACQUIRES HIGH LINE

FROM CSX TRANSPORTATION

 

Trail Use Agreement Signed Permitting Recreational Uses

on the Elevated Rail Structure; Transformation into

Public Open Space to Begin in 2006

 

 

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that the City of New York acquired title to the High Line elevated rail viaduct from CSX Transportation, Inc. this month. CSX donated the High Line to the City, and the transfer of ownership clears the way for the structure's transformation into a public open space to begin in 2006. Open space on the High Line will run from Gansevoort Street in Manhattan's Meatpacking District through West Chelsea to the Hudson Yards. In addition, the City and CSX signed a Trail Use Agreement, permitting the rail structure to be used by the public as a recreational amenity. The first section of the High Line is projected to open to the public in 2008.

 

"The transfer of ownership of the High Line from CSX to the City marks another important milestone in our efforts to create a one-of-a-kind public space for all New Yorkers," said Mayor Bloomberg. "This unique public amenity will become a symbol of all that is great in New York as we plan for our future by creating much needed parks and public spaces. This is another terrific example of the public and private sectors working together to make the City a healthier and more beautiful place, and of creative people pursuing visions that would seem impossible anywhere else in the world. Members of my Administration who've worked so hard on this project, and our partners at Friends of the High Line and CSX, should be proud of the legacy we are creating for future generations of New Yorkers."

 

"We are delighted that our donation of the High Line to the City of New York will result in a new public space for residents and tourists to enjoy," said CSX Corporation Senior VP of Regulatory Affairs and Washington Counsel Peter Shudtz. "CSX's donation of the property and the accompanying Trail Use Agreement with the City of New York would not have been possible without the dedication and coordination of many in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors. We are especially appreciative of the partnership and commitment of the Bloomberg Administration to turn this property into a public amenity, and we commend the vision and persistence of Robert Hammond and Joshua David of Friends of the High Line who tirelessly advocated for the High Line's reuse. CSX is pleased to be a part of what promises to be an exceptional public space in New York City."

 

"The High Line will be this century's Central Park," said City Council Speaker Gifford Miller. "Establishing the framework for the High Line's transformation was among my top priorities as Speaker, and I'm extremely pleased to see the Council's leadership bear such wonderful results in such a short time. The High Line is an inspiring New York success story, showing how diverse constituencies can work together to create something great for New York City's future."

 

"Railbanking the High Line was our most important goal when we started Friends of the High Line in 1999, and now that huge advance has been accomplished, thanks to the successful completion of the Trail Use Agreement and transfer of ownership from CSX to the City," said FHL Co-founder Robert Hammond. "We're especially grateful to Mayor Bloomberg and his Administration for their vision and unstinting work to move the project forward. They took a structure that had been mired in legal disputes for nearly 20 years and turned it around, bringing it to the start of construction in just three short years. We also thank City Council Speaker Gifford Miller for championing the High Line's transformation and committing much-needed funds; Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton and Representative Jerrold Nadler for their successful efforts to bring major federal funding to the project; and CSX for its openness to the High Line being preserved and reused to benefit all New Yorkers."

 

The transfer of ownership puts title to the High Line in control of the City of New York. The Trail Use Agreement concludes negotiations between the City and CSX Transportation, Inc., to allow the High Line to become a railbanked trail. Railbanking, a method of creating trails from out-of-use rail corridors, was established by a 1983 Congressional amendment to the National Trails Systems Act. There are over 13,000 miles of rail-trails across the country. The City originally petitioned the federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) for authorization to create a railbanked trail on the High Line in December 2002. In June 2005, the STB authorized a Certificate of Interim Trail Use (CITU) for the High Line. The CITU enabled the completion of negotiations for the Trail Use Agreement and transfer of ownership.

 

Construction on the High Line project is scheduled to begin in 2006. The work will be divided into two scopes of work: site preparation, which includes removal of the rails and ballast, comprehensive waterproofing, and stripping and painting of all steel, and construction of the public landscape including access systems (stairs and elevators), pathways, plantings, seating, lighting, safety enhancements and other features. The first section of the High Line is projected to open to the public in 2008. The preliminary design for the first phase of the High Line's transformation can be viewed at http://www.thehighline.org/design. The preliminary design will continue to evolve as the project moves toward construction.

 

In the fall of 2004, the Mayor and Speaker Miller announced new capital funding commitments for the High Line bringing the total funding commitment to $61.75 million.  In January 2005, $3 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) funding was allocated by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council's New York City Transportation Coordinating Committee. In June 2005, the West Chelsea neighborhood surrounding the High Line was rezoned to support its reuse as a public space, to provide opportunities for new residential and commercial development, and to enhance the neighborhood's thriving art gallery district. And in August 2005, Senators Schumer and Clinton, and U.S. Representative Nadler announced that they had secured $18 million in capital funding in the multi-year federal transportation bill. These elected officials also brought $1.5 million to the project in appropriations bills in 2004 and 2005. Lastly, State Assemblymember Gottfried worked to bring $50,000 in State Multi-Modal Transportation Program funds to the High Line.

 

Friends of the High Line (FHL), a 501©(3) non-profit organization, began advocating for the High Line's reuse as public open space in 1999. In 2002, the Bloomberg Administration endorsed the project when it filed with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) requesting authorization to create a railbanked trail on the High Line. The STB gave that authorization, in the form of a Certificate of Interim Trail Use (CITU), in June 2005. It is important to note that the High Line is not yet open to the public, and trespassers are subject to prosecution.

 

 

Contact:  Edward Skyler/Jennifer Falk (NYC)  (212) 788-2958

  Laurie Izes (CSX) (212) 579-7536

  Robert Sullivan (CSX)  (215) 209-4580

  Joshua David (FHL) (212) 206-9922 x222

(917) 687-7011

 

news from today's highline newsletter:

 

 

PRE-CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BEGIN ON HIGH LINE

As we prepare for the much-anticipated start of construction on the High Line, you may notice activity on the High Line in the coming month. Protective fencing will be constructed by the City's contractors on the High Line from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street—the first section of the Line to be transformed. This fencing will protect the structure's iconic steel railings during construction. It will also protect workers on the High Line and people on the streets below. A precise start-date for the construction itself has not been identified, but we expect that work will begin in the next few months.

 

Following these preparations, construction of Section 1 will include two separate scopes of work: site preparation (2006-2007), followed by construction of the access systems and public landscape (2007-2008). Site preparation will include removal and storage of railroad tracks; removal of gravel ballast; steel and concrete repair; abatement and painting of steel; repairs to the drainage system; and pigeon mitigation.

 

It's important to note that much of the self-sown landscape currently atop the High Line must be removed to permit repairs to the underlying structure. This is being done only after careful study of the long-term needs of the High Line structure and the future public amenity. A number of steps will taken to ensure that historic and wild quality of the High Line, as documented in Joel Sternfeld's photographs, is embodied by the future public landscape. Some rails will be returned to their original locations (every inch of rail has been mapped and tagged to enable sections to be reinstalled). And in their landscape design, the design team takes cues from the meadows, thickets, and robust grasses that now grow wild on the High Line. To learn more about plans for the public landscape, please join FHL and the City of New York on Monday, February 13, for a free High Line Public Design Presentation (see below).

 

FHL encourages you to take pictures of the structure now (from the street or from adjoining buildings), before its transformation begins. Take pictures before February 15. Send your favorites to [email protected] and we will try to post as many as possible on our Web site. Remember: The High Line remains off-limits to the public, and trespassers are subject to prosecution, so please limit yourself to taking pictures from street level or from adjoining buildings.

 

 

 

 

THATS very enovative. I'm amazed at some of the current desgining and ideas in architecture these days.

awesome news, looks like they have actually started working on the highline  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :

 

 

 

 

BREAKING: 'Huge Crew' Working on High Line

 

Thursday, March 09, 2006, by Lockhart

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

From high above Chelsea, a Curbed reader emails: "no photos, but from the office at 85 10th avenue, you can see a huge crew at work on the High Line above the Chelsea Carwash." The Villager reported last month that this is the prep phase of construction that "will involve tagging and removing railroad tracks and ties (some to be restored to remind park visitors what the structure was built for), removing the gravel ballast, repairing the steel and concrete framework and installing new drainage. Lead-based paint will have to be stripped from the steel structure and anti-pigeon devices will be installed." And so it begins.

· Design details outlined for High Line ‘park in sky’ [The Villager]

· High Line Full Speed Ahead: Tracks Donated to City [Curbed]

· Friends of the High Line [FHL]

 

Reader Comments (1 extant)

 

 

1.

If they did absolutely nothing else, other than install anti-pigeon devices on this thing, I would have been blissfully happy.

 

By Mr. Minerva at March 9, 2006 04:46 PM

 

 

link:

http://www.curbed.com/archives/2006/03/09/breaking_huge_crew_working_on_high_line.php

 

 

 

innovative

great way to think outside of the box. Awsome us of space. we need more projects like this so that we can have more green space in our cities.

hey celeb backing don't hurt -- this one is for the rockers  :banger:

 

 

 

High Line Getting a Dose of Stardust

 

Wednesday, May 10, 2006, by Joey

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

Does the High Line need any more celebrity backers? Why yes, yes it does. Already buddied up with drunko Ed Norton, dapper Kevin Bacon and others, our favorite elevated garden-to-be now has its very own music festival. Billboard reports:

 

David Bowie will curate the inaugural High Line Festival, to be held in May 2007 in neighborhoods underneath the High Line, a public park being created atop a long-abandoned elevated railway line on the west side of Manhattan.

 

As part of the programming, Bowie will play a large outdoor concert, his first show in New York since 2003. He will also select musicians and artists to appear throughout the festival. "I've been particularly excited about seeking out emerging artists and giving them a place in a festival that will also feature some very well-known names," Bowie says.

 

The High Line, where the stars might actually outshine the starchitects!

· Bowie To Curate New NYC Festival [billboard via BrooklynVegan]

 

Reader Comments (1 extant)

 

1.

So nearly five years after his last New York show, it's finally the High Line that gets him to show his soul. Love the photoshop job you've done, kind of a moonage daydream. Really evokes the effect of Bowie the star, man. It ain't easy to get him to appear these days, so maybe your Lady Stardust silhouettes will encourage the star not to cancel the show. Although if it gets any more crowded up there than in your picture, you may have to hang onto yourself or risk being pushed over the railing, and Ziggy Stardust might forsake this suffragette city over your apparent rock & roll suicide.

 

By Corlian at May 10, 2006 04:05 PM

 

link:

http://www.curbed.com/archives/2006/05/10/high_line_getting_a_dose_of_stardust.php

 

 

Very cool it is moving forward.  Keep us posted nyc.

from fhl -- looks like highline fever is spreading around the usa and elsewhere:

 

 

Similar Projects 

 

The High Line's conversion to public open space will transform 1.5 miles of Manhattan, but it also will serve as a model for cities across the country — and around the world.

 

There are currently several community groups in various stages of converting other rail structures, viaducts and bridges, to public open space. As you can see, cities around the world contain underused, underappreciated structures like the High Line. It's part of our mission at FHL to make the High Line a model for the innovative reuse of these structures to create open space, sustainable transportation options, and social and economic benefits.

 

We would love to make this list more comprehensive. If you know of a project we should add, please e-mail [email protected]

 

Promenade Plantée, Paris

Reading Viaduct, Philadelphia, PA

Bloomingdale Trail, Chicago, IL

Rail Corridor, St. Louis, MO

Harsimus Stem Embankment, Jersey City, NJ

High Bridge, Manhattan/Bronx, NY

Rockaway Beach Greenway, Queens, NY

Hofpleinlijn, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Highland Railroad Bridge, Poughkeepsie, NY

Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, FL

Stone Arch Bridge and "Bridge 9", Minneapolis, MN

Save Our Steel, Bethlehem, PA

 

more info on each of those projects here:

http://www.thehighline.org/about/similarprojects.html#readingviaduct

 

 

Pretty sweet.

 

Speaking of NYC and renderings what are they replacing the world trade center with? Has that been determined? That might be a dumb question.

naah, never dumb to ask.

 

fyi renderings of all nyc projects are here:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=103927

 

and here is a rendering of the freedom tower & the 'slashy' others are there behind it.

the foundation of the freedom tower is now under construction inside the wtc pit.

i dk if the rendering will be thee final design, but it is the latest one:

 

 

 

I find this to be much improved over the previous WTC skyline.  It looks like they have done a good job in designing the new bldgs for the site.

highline construction update from todays newsletter  :clap:

 

 

*sorry i had to get these pics off the email newsletter via a screenshot*

 

 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: REMOVALS COMPLETE ON SECTION ONE

 

 

Since our April 10 Groundbreaking ceremony, the City's team of contractors has made major advances on the High Line. The first phase of construction, removal of debris and nonstructural concrete, has been completed for Section 1, from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street. This phase included removal and storage of all the original rail tracks, which were tagged and mapped so that some can be integrated into the design of the new High Line landscape.

 

The contract for the next phase of construction has been awarded, through a public bidding process, and work is set to begin in September. The scope of work for this phase will include lead paint abatement, repainting of the structure, concrete and steel repair, and the installation of drainage systems and pigeon deterrents on the underside of the High Line. During the lead paint abatement process, the construction team will use a mobile containment structure to protect surrounding areas while sandblasting.

 

This phase of construction is expected to continue into summer 2007, after which the next phase, construction of access points and the public landscape atop the structure, will begin. The first section of the High Line is scheduled to open in 2008.

 

link (does not have this info on it yet):

http://www.thehighline.org/

 

 

 

^^^I like everything about the Freedom Tower but its name. Reminds me of all that "Freedom Fries" booyah from 2003. Isn't it sad when a word like "freedom" can be co-opted? I guess nothing outside the walls of a church is sacred in this country.

 

Grumble. Having a bad day already.

i went to an update preso on the progress of the highline. it is just going to be a fantastic park -- conventioneers will be able to walk downtown unimpeded. btw the talk was one of the last events to be held at the frying pan barge complex on peir 63 near the chelsea piers (the grouping of ships have been moved now up the river a bit to make way for more hudson river park).

 

interesting frying pan info:

http://www.fryingpan.com/

the lightship guarded frying pan shoals off cape fear, nc from the 30'-60's.

 

here's a few from the highline update talk

 

sorry they cliked over the slides waaay too fast for me

 

the frying pan is very popular after work in summer & they have dj shows there too.

it'll be back next summer just upriver.

 

nice to remember how it was a beautiful late summer evening

this shot was taken from the very back stern of the fying pan lightship.

to the right is the main barge where the talk was held. yes they have rooftop seating -- great views!

 

***you can view some very cute kid's pix of the highline here (they gave kids cameras to do it):

 

http://www.thehighline.org/gallery/cameraproject

 

or you can see the shots in person as the show will be up sept-nov in the chelsea market if yr in town

 

Man, I love that highline. I bet the view is ridiculous.

^ yeah the views are wild. here are a couple shots i took of it out the window of a building on w26th street last year. i forgot i had them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

here's a very recent construction shot i found today. the rail & greenery is cleared away and there is lots of activity fixing up the railbed. i even saw a semi truck up on there yesterday. this pic is on washington st. at gansevoort st. in the meatpacking district. it is the southernmost existing end of the highline and the 1st section being rebuilt into a park:

 

Sweet.

i got a new fhl newsletter today. they are moving on from the initial 'removals phase' to 'site prep phase.' this will last until next summer. if you want to see this in action there are some more very cool photo gallery pics on the link below.

 

 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: SITE PREPARATION BEGINS

A new phase of construction has begun on the High Line. This new phase—Site Preparation—will ready the structure for the installation of the new park landscape. The current work includes steel and concrete repair; sandblasting and repainting of all steel surfaces; bird deterrents; and the installation of a new underside drainage system. During sandblasting, the High Line structure will be wrapped with a containment unit to protect workers and adjacent areas (see photo).

 

Site Preparation follows the timely completion of the Removals phase, which cleared tracks, ballast, and debris from the elevated rail bed. (The tracks have been tagged and stored, so that many of them can be reinstalled into the future park landscape.) Site Preparation will wind down in summer 2007, paving the way for the installation of the new High Line access systems, pathways, plantings, and lighting, now being designed by the team led by Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

 

 

 

 

 

 

more pics here:

http://www.thehighline.org/gallery/construction

 

 

 

mrnyc, have you dropped a load a cash down on a crib over there?

i wish. just the 'ol rent stabilized apt.

Hey mrnyc, on a related but unrelated topic, is there any large exhibition scheduled for New York next spring/summer like Christo's Central Park "gates".

^ nothing i know of yet. i'll let you know if i hear about anything this winter.

 

 

here is a couple other cool highline construction pics from gothamist:

 

the mess under the High Line is the footprint for Andre Balazs' new hotel, The Standard, which will jut through the elevated park.

 

 

funny to see trucks up there

 

 

 

 

i wish. just the 'ol rent stabilized apt.

 

man you could probably own instead of making someone else rich.  :wink:

^ nothing i know of yet. i'll let you know if i hear about anything this winter.

 

 

here is a couple other cool highline construction pics from gothamist:

 

 

 

That's one crazy looking bird

^ yeah, those plastic owls are up all over the place. they keep the pidgeons away.

^ nothing i know of yet. i'll let you know if i hear about anything this winter.

 

Thanks!

i got another highline email newsletter today. two things.

 

***first a construction update, basically things are moving along:

 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: SANDBLASTING AND REPAINTING

Site Preparation work is progressing on schedule. Contractors are working from both the southern and northern ends of Section 1 (Gansevoort Street to 20th Street) and have completed sandblasting of the steel structure and railings from Gansevoort Street to Little West 12th Street, and from 19th Street to 20th Street.

 

The gray color seen in the image is the primer coat, the first of three coats of paint to be applied. The primer coat is applied immediately after sandblasting to protect the raw steel. After steel repairs are made, the team will return to apply the intermediate and final coats. The construction team has also removed much of the concrete encasement on columns and beams beyond the sandblasting work, so that those steel surfaces can be prepared in a similar manner.

 

***second is a problem, the preservation of the very northern end of the highline is now in some doubt:

 

DECEMBER 7: PUBLIC FORUM ON THE FUTURE OF THE HIGH LINE AT THE WEST SIDE RAIL YARDS

 

 

The High Line is secure from 30th Street south, and construction on Section 1 is underway. But at the West Side Rail Yards, between 30th and 34th Streets, the future of the High Line is in doubt, and the structure may be fully preserved, altered or removed.

 

^fyi -- this is where the nyjets/olympic stadium was going to be

 

Please join FHL on Thursday, December 7 for a presentation of the High Line's potential at the rail yards and an overview of the public planning process that will decide its future. The presentation will be followed by a public discussion.

 

High Line Rail Yards Forum

Thursday, December 7

6:30 PM

Chelsea Market Community Room

Chelsea Market

75 Ninth Avenue

 

RSVP Required: [email protected] or (212) 206-9922