Fashion mogul Diane von Furstenberg has added her voice to a chorus of New Yorkers opposed to a proposal to build multiple high rises, including a casino, on Manhattan’s Far West Side.
The proposal is one of several seeking to develop a casino in New York City, and it is centered in Hudson Yards, where the High Line is located. A rail line that was turned into a popular park and offers unparalleled views of the city.
“In 1998 I moved into the Meatpacking district and met two young men Robert and Josh,” von Furstenberg wrote alongside a photo on Instagram on Saturday. “They had a dream to save the abandoned old elevated train track and turn into a park …I joined their community and the @highlinenyc was born.”
The famed fashion designer noted that the High Line is now the No. 1 tourist attraction in New York City, and said “we all love it.”
“The High Line is now at risk because of an undesirable development plan. We need help to protect the magic of the High line. Join us by signing up to protect the High line,” she wrote.
Along with helping to make the High Line a reality, von Furstenberg and her husband, media mogul Barry Diller, were instrumental in the 2021 opening of nearby Little Island, a 2.4-acre park at the site of the old Pier 55 on the Hudson River. The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation put up $235 million to construct it, nearly the total cost.
The non-profit Friends of the High Line and associated groups, such as the High Line Neighbors Council and the Council of Chelsea Block Associations (CCBA), have mobilized supporters against the casino development proposal from real estate developer Related Companies and casino giant Wynn Resorts.
The proposal, submitted earlier this year, would see the construction of a skyscraper hotel and casino, as well as an apartment tower, a separate commercial tower for offices, a public school and a day care. The proposed location for the casino tower would be atop a 200-foot podium on the west end of the High Line, blocking the park’s views of the city skyline.
Opponents want the redevelopment of the Rail Yards to follow the original 2009 plan, which included the development of the park, along with promised housing.
“Chelsea has a serious housing crisis. If the new ‘updated’ WRY proposal moves forward, the community stands to lose approximately 2,500-4,200 new housing units that were included in the 2009 plan,” Sally Greenspan, President of the CCBA, said in a statement. “The housing will be replaced with taller buildings with commercial space and possibly a casino. Chelsea needs more housing, not more office space and CCBA opposes the potential inclusion of a casino. CCBA supports the Protect the High Line campaign to get the Rail Yards plan back on track.”
State Assemblymember Deborah Glick, who represents Assembly District 66, said the city should be preserving waterfront features that benefit residents and attract tourists, not obstructing them, especially when the plan contains so little housing.
“The High Line is a unique and beloved park intended to get New Yorkers and visitors outside and above the congested streets and sidewalks. Any plans that block views from this distinctive vantage point or allow for building closer to the High Line run counter to the High Line Special District and would significantly alter the experience,” Glick said.
“Preserving the integrity, intent, and enjoyment of cherished New York attractions like the High Line must be prioritized,” she said. “It would be one thing to accept a greater density of buildings if it were to produce substantial affordable housing, but the City should be preserving our waterfront features as many countries and cities have done successfully, not undermining this enormously successful attraction that draws tourists from all corners of the world and provides New Yorkers with an unparalleled experience.”
TMX contributed to this story.
