Manhattan Community Board 4 recommended rejecting plans on Monday to upzone part of the area and potentially allow a developer to build a full-scale, full-service casino near The High Line.

The advisory body voted unanimously against the casino plan for an undeveloped area near the linear public park on the West Side. With its advisory vote, the board is asking the city to deny Related Companies’ rezoning application that would enable the developer, along with Wynn Resorts, to build a $12 billion full-scale, casino-based complex.

Community members who long opposed the plan celebrated the board’s decision as a victory for their cause.

“I‘m heartened that the community board takes its job so seriously and did such a thorough investigation in the details of this plan,” said Alan van Capelle, executive director of Friends of the High Line, adding that the decision came without any conditions.

However, the board’s vote is only advisory — meaning Related could still proceed with its massive proposal, which features three skyscrapers, a hotel, public park and, as its centerpiece, a full-service casino, provided the plan receives final approval from the City Planning Commission and the City Council at the conclusion of the uniform land use review process (ULURP).

Nonetheless, van Capelle still feels good about the odds of the casino plan going bust.

“This is an advisory opinion, but it’s important because it’s the first opportunity the community has to make its voice heard during this land-use review process,” he said. “Our elected officials, the borough president and the city council member, deeply believe in the power of community boards, and about what they have to say.”

Local City Council Member Erik Bottcher, who represents the area, shared that he is “skeptical” of changes to zoning.

“I am highly skeptical of any alterations to the existing zoning regulations and the potential reduction of housing units,” he said. “As with any zoning change application, there will be an extensive public process that ensures the applicant and all stakeholders have the opportunity to be heard.” 

With the casino at its core, the project would be positioned between West 30th and 33th Streets and 11th and 12th Avenues, located in the Western Rail Yards, on the High Line’s north end.

van Capelle added that the Related proposal is a “bad deal” for the West Side. He added that the area would be more suited for affordable housing.

“West Side New Yorkers are smart and savvy,” he said. “They know a bad deal when they see one.”

What does Related say?

Related maintains that their affordable housing plan remains unchanged from 2009. The company has also said during public and private meetings that the 2009 plan is “not feasible,” meaning it can not be financed because the market does not support it. 

Natalie Ravitz, a spokesperson for Related, said the company still plans to move the project along through the approval process, adding that the board often rejects projects that would “bring opportunity” to the West Side. 

“While many of their ideas are not fiscally feasible to implement, we welcome feedback and elements that can make this project and neighborhood better,” she said. “We are focused on moving forward with local elected officials, who have been committed to pursuing realistic plans that deliver the jobs, housing and community improvements New York needs today.”

Both Related and the local community saw controversy surrounding the project last year. On Sept. 24, 2024, just four months after local uproar about the plan’s additional parking spaces or a possible parking garage, a different spokesperson for the company said the project has many benefits, including more jobs and a public park.

“We cannot let debates over parking spots stand in the way of a massive public park, tens of thousands of jobs and careers, safer streets, affordable housing, and better transportation for New York City,” the spokesperson said. “We will continue to meet with stakeholders across the local community as we work together to deliver these important benefits for the neighborhood and New York’s future.”

Why did Community Board 4 reject the rezoning changes?

There are multiple reasons the board said “no” to Related’s zoning bid. 

Many reasons stem from a 2009 agreement between Related and the city. Residents have said Related is altering the deal by proposing taller buildings and adding the signature piece: the casino.  

Stakeholders have said the area’s integrity and charm are also at stake. van Capelle explained that twenty percent of the High Line wraps around the proposed project’s location, making it important to protect the green space.

“It’s really important to protect a public amenity like the High Line,” he said.

van Capelle said Friends of the High Line wants to see the area developed in a “responsible way” that meets the community’s needs.

“We want those thousands of union jobs. We want thousands of permanent jobs,” he said. “And we also want to maintain the magic of the High Line that would be gravely threatened by this development.”

Meanwhile, Friends of the High Line members are urging Related to withdraw its application and to work with the residents on a new proposal.

“Friends of the High Line is ready to start work tomorrow with other community stakeholders to develop and build support for a new plan that takes advantage of the public assets in front of us,” van Capelle said.“And I encourage Related to withdraw its application and join a community-led effort to start over – quickly – to reimagine the site for public good.”