Mayor Bloomberg Cuts Ribbon for NYC’s New High Line Park
By Natasha Dorsainvil
Today Mayor Bloomberg and other New York elected officials took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the High Line in New York City.
Although today’s ceremony unveiled phase one of the project, this new and very green addition to the cement city will stretch through the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea, and the Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton area when fully complete in 2010.
If you happen to be around Gansevoort and 20th Streets, you’ll have to look up to get a glimpse of the new public green space. Complete with water features, curved paths, and flower boxes in bloom, the elevated park sits on the old High Line rails, which were constructed in 1930 to alleviate street-traffic issues. With the innovation of the interstate system in the 1950s, trucking boomed and the High Line busted. The rail’s last cargo run was for frozen turkeys in 1980, which was fitting because a portion of the High Line runs through the Meatpacking District. After residents attempted to get the High Line demolished, Friends of the High Line stepped in to save the day. They convinced the city, the rail owners, and others to preserve the site for reuse as a public space.
Back in 2004, Mayor Bloomberg announced city funding for the park. Phase one cost $86.2 million and phase two is slated to total $66 million. Contributors to the project include Diane von Furstenberg and Barry Diller who donated a combined $15 million in gift and matching grants.
Via The High Line and NYTimes.com
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