Save the Spur Video and Rally Recap!

The turn-out of High Line supporters for Monday’s Eastern Rail Yards Public Forum was great: more than 200 people rallied at Midtown’s Red Cross in favor of preserving the entire High Line, including the Spur over 10th Avenue. Supporters wore red “Save the Spur” T-shirts and held signs during a presentation by The Related Companies, [...]

Related is Selected as Rail Yards Developer

Another big Rail Yards announcement this morning: the Related Companies have stepped in where Tishman Speyer dropped out earlier this month. Related’s original proposal included the preservation of the entire High Line, including the spur over Tenth Avenue and the entire 30th Street section, which might have been demolished in Tishman Speyer’s plan. Though we haven’t [...]

New West Chelsea Gym Incorporates the High Line

What is sure to be the first of many business and residential structures built around it, a new branch of the posh Equinox gym opened January 3 under, between, and overlooking the High Line. Their lobby incorporates the High Line’s support columns, and the yoga studio looks directly onto the Line itself. More pictures after [...]

Crain’s: MTA Should Pick Most Financially Sound Developer

Unsurprisingly in the wake of the subprime crisis and general market shakiness, much of the Rail Yards dialogue has turned away from design and towards financials. Of course, guessing is a bit tough, given the MTA’s refusal to make the financial bids public (which the HYCAC called for as part of its summary of top [...]

Crain’s Video: Rail Yards Developers at REBNY Gala

Crain’s caught up with four of the five Rail Yards developers at the 112th annual Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) gala. Ric Clark from Brookfield, Stephen Ross from Related, Douglas Durst from Durst/Vornado, and Jerry Speyer from Tishman Speyer all make the case for why their development plan was the best.

Weekly News Roundup, December 11-18

Related Companies announces a $1.4 Billion investment by firms including Goldman Sachs and MSD Capital. While the firm’s release remarks that this news does not impact any of their current plans, including their West Side Rail Yards redevelopment proposal, the timing of their announcement is certainly convenient. The Times reports on this here. Gothamist also [...]

From Crain’s: Developers with Anchor Tenants Have the Edge

Crain’s New York Business reports today that the three developers who have lined up anchor tenants for the rail yards site, Related, Durst/Vornado and Tishman Speyer, have an advantage in the eyes of the MTA. Crain’s’ Theresa Agovino reports: The three leading contenders have each bid about $1 billion for the yards, sources say, and [...]

Plans Aired to the Community at the Hudson Guild

On Monday night, over 200 interested members of the community (as well as political figures such as New York State Senator Tom Duane) gathered at the Hudson Guild at an event sponsored by Community Board 4 and the Hudson Yards Community Advocacy Coalition that included presentations from the five developers who have submitted plans for [...]

Video: Cooper Union Architect Presentations

On Monday, architects from the five development teams presented their designs to the public at Cooper Union. Videos of each presentation are now available. Please note these videos have been edited down for length, and the sound quality is not great. Steven Holl for Extell Robert AM Stern, Bernardo Fort Brescia, Eugene Kohn and Claire [...]

Comparing the Five Plans

 [click to enlarge] A quick visual comparison of the five developer’s plans, alongside the MTA’s land use guidelines from the RFP. Note the different distribution of open space and building arrangement.