Hundreds of trade union members flooded the streets near the offices of the High Line park on Manhattan’s West Side on Thursday (24 October) in support of the bid by developer Related Companies and Wynn Resorts to build a $12 billion casino, office and housing complex at Hudson Yards.
The rally, dubbed “We Build”, was in response to recent efforts by the nonprofit group Protect the High Line. That group objects to the project. In addition, it says buildings would obstruct iconic views of the New York skyline afforded by the current High Line Park. The urban park sits over Hudson Yards and the former Western Rail Lines.
Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York President Gary LaBarbera and hundreds of union workers gathered outside the High Line’s main offices at 18th Street in support of the six-million-square-foot project.
“This is about your future,” LaBarbera told crowds, according to a report by W42ST.com. “This city must continue to develop. If it does not develop, you don’t have a future.”
Broad union support
According to the report, workers from unions including Local 580 Iron Workers, Carpenters, Sheet Metal Workers Local 28, UA Plumbers Local 1, District Council 9 and others crowded the streets outside the High Line’s offices.
The controversy over this proposal has been brewing for a long time. Previously, the Manhattan Community Board 4 expressed opposition to the plan, along with Protect the High Line. They support a 2009 plan for Western Rail Yards that would create 5,762 housing units on the site. Accordingly, in that scenario, there would be no high-rise buildings or casino. Conversely, the Related/Wynn plan calls for 1,507 housing units.
“Our concern is this massive development project, as currently proposed, was designed without any community input and would do permanent damage to the High Line,” Van Capelle wrote in an op-ed published in Monday’s New York Daily News. “Design choices in the development plan for Hudson Yards West would severely and permanently block views of the city [and] shroud the High Line and other open spaces in shadows for most of the day.”
At the rally, union members supported LaBarbera. In addition, some chanted “F** *the shade!” in response to concerns over the High Line vistas.
“Tyranny of non-development”
Specifically, LaBarbera told the crowd the leaders of Protect the High Line “are putting their elite attitudes in front of you and your family’s future”.
“We’re going to fight against this tyranny of non-development in this city,” said LaBarbera. “We have to send a message, not only to these organisations but to the elected officials as well, that we will not support them, we will never leave them alone, until they support us and our futures.”
Wynn and Related previously said the project would create 35,000 union construction jobs. It would also create 5,000 permanent union jobs.
Vincent Alvarez, president of the New York City Central Labor Council, told W42ST, “We want to see development happen. We want to see the excuses stop. We want to see housing being built. We want to see stores being built. We want to see hotels being built.”
The project to build Wynn New York City is among 11 proposals for three available downstate casino licences in and around Manhattan. Licences will be issued in late 2025.
