Unanimous Vote Reflects Concerns Over ‘Las Vegas-Style Giant’ Near Midtown
While not a definitive end to Wynn Resorts and Related Companies’ $12 billion (£9.6 billion/€11.6 billion) hotel and casino project in midtown Manhattan, it’s far from a strong endorsement.
On 6 January, Community Board 4, representing the Hudson Yards area where the casino is proposed, unanimously opposed the plan.
Although the vote is purely advisory, it will undoubtedly be considered by the upcoming Community Advisory Committee. This is part of the bureaucratic process intended to pave the way for up to three casinos in downstate New York.
NYC isn’t Las Vegas
“A thoughtfully designed mixed-use neighborhood is being sacrificed for a flashy Las Vegas-style giant that doesn’t belong on Manhattan’s West Side,” said Joshua David, a former Community Board 4 (CB4) member, during Monday’s testimony, as reported by the New York Post. “If we wanted to live in Las Vegas,” he added, “we would live in Las Vegas.”
A major concern for the board was the literal shadow the proposed 80-story Hudson Yards hotel and casino would cast over The High Line, a popular park built on a former freight rail line in the area.
Friends of The High Line’s executive director, Alan van Capelle, expressed satisfaction with the community board’s decision, stating that the massive building would cause “permanent harm to the High Line experience,” according to the Post.
Over the past year, the project has faced significant opposition, including criticism from state lawmakers.
The board’s firm rejection of the Hudson Yards proposal is unsurprising, as they have consistently opposed the project since its inception.
In fact, CB4 and Related Companies have had a contentious relationship for decades. Back in 2009, the same site was slated to become a residential property under Related’s plans, but that vision never materialized.
