Showing posts with label High Line Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label High Line Park. Show all posts
Sunday, August 25, 2013
From SoHo to the High Line
Yesterday was a gloriously beautiful day in the New York City metro area, that it meant only one thing - the ability to go down and check out one of the best areas of the City - SoHo and the High Line. All photos were taken with my Canon 60d and 18-55mm lens. 
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
NYC Planning Expansion Of High Line Park
After claiming that the City and park officials lacked the money to maintain the newly opened High Line, the NY Daily News is reporting that the City is set to expand the park by purchasing additional land in anticipation of expanding the park to 1.5 miles. The park currently stretches from Gansevoort St. to W. 20th St. in Chelsea on the former railbed suspended above the city streets.
Where is the money going to come from to care for the maintenance of the newly created park, let alone any expansion? That seems to be a question that is wholly avoided throughout the Daily News article, and one that taxpayers ought to be asking of City officials. I've previously reported that the entity responsible for building the park has sought to impose a tax on local businesses to fund the park's operations, although such calls were rebuffed.
The Friends of the High Line have had trouble making up their portion of the costs of operation which is $2.5 to $3.5 million annually (the City kicks in $1 million annually). Since this expansion would result in additional operating costs, perhaps someone should be asking where the money will come from to operate the expanded areas, let alone the existing areas.
Where is the money going to come from to care for the maintenance of the newly created park, let alone any expansion? That seems to be a question that is wholly avoided throughout the Daily News article, and one that taxpayers ought to be asking of City officials. I've previously reported that the entity responsible for building the park has sought to impose a tax on local businesses to fund the park's operations, although such calls were rebuffed.
The Friends of the High Line have had trouble making up their portion of the costs of operation which is $2.5 to $3.5 million annually (the City kicks in $1 million annually). Since this expansion would result in additional operating costs, perhaps someone should be asking where the money will come from to operate the expanded areas, let alone the existing areas.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
New Park? Friends of High Line Propose New Tax
The City of New York unveiled its latest park earlier this year, the much anticipated High Line Park, which runs through Chelsea and the Meatpacking District on the West Side of Manhattan. It's not your typical park, since it runs along the former elevated railway that used to supply factories and manufacturers until the service ended decades ago.
It was turned into a park over the past few years and it now provides residents with some truly interesting vistas of the City.
The Friends of the High Line, which designed and operates the park on the City's behalf, however, needs to pay for the park, and their solution is simple. Tack on a property tax surcharge to local properties through the creation of a new business improvement district, which would stretch from Gansevoort Street north to 30th Street, and from 10th Avenue to the Hudson River.
So, they're doing what municipalities and politicians all over the metropolitan are are considering. They're going to call for a tax hike. In this case, it's a property tax hike on those businesses close to the park. After all, the reasoning goes that they benefit from the park, so they should pony up to pay for it.
The Friends of the High Line might push the proposal by the end of the year unless there's serious resistance to their plan. Given how the government seemingly can't stop finding ways to nickle and dime taxpayers, I'm sure that's going to go over real well.
It was turned into a park over the past few years and it now provides residents with some truly interesting vistas of the City.
The Friends of the High Line, which designed and operates the park on the City's behalf, however, needs to pay for the park, and their solution is simple. Tack on a property tax surcharge to local properties through the creation of a new business improvement district, which would stretch from Gansevoort Street north to 30th Street, and from 10th Avenue to the Hudson River.
Open less than two months, the High Line already has its hand out.The operators didn't figure out how much this would cost to operate? That figures. They underestimated the costs, and with the recession, they're having a hard time raising donations to cover their portion of the costs.
Facing crowds that are much larger than expected and with the recession putting a crimp in fund-raising, the High Line's founders are proposing a business improvement district that would tax nearby property owners.
"We want to make sure we can keep maintaining the High Line to this level that has worked so well," said Friends of the High Line co-founder Robert Hammond. "We've been talking about it for a while, but now it's becoming more of a necessity."
Hammond said that weekend crowds have averaged 20,000 visitors a day, while weekdays typically draw between 6,000 and 10,000 visitors -- about four times as many as predicted before the park's opening on June 9.
With the added crowds have come higher maintenance costs, Hammond said.
Friends of the High Line, a not-for-profit group, oversaw the design and construction of the $152 million, city-owned park. The group also has a license with the city to maintain and operate it.
Hammond estimated that operating costs will be roughly $3.5 million to $4.5 million a year. The city kicks in about $1 million, leaving the not-for-profit to raise the rest.
So, they're doing what municipalities and politicians all over the metropolitan are are considering. They're going to call for a tax hike. In this case, it's a property tax hike on those businesses close to the park. After all, the reasoning goes that they benefit from the park, so they should pony up to pay for it.
The Friends of the High Line might push the proposal by the end of the year unless there's serious resistance to their plan. Given how the government seemingly can't stop finding ways to nickle and dime taxpayers, I'm sure that's going to go over real well.
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