The Project Management of The Manhattan High Line

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The Manhattan High Line started its life as an elevated industrial freight-railway that ran directly through various factories in Manhattan’s West Side.

In 2009 after nearly 30 years of neglect and disuse it reopened as a linear park that sits 30 feet in the air.

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“6.7 acres of public space in a city where parks are lacking in number.”(Schneider 2007)

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The last train ran on the High Line in 1980 and up until redevelopment began in 2006 naturally seeded shrubs, grasses and flowers grew out of the ballast..

Some locals felt that the High Line was a valuable part of Manhattan’s history, others felt it was holding up economic development.

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The High Line came under threat of demolition from Mayor Giuliani’s administration.

Two local residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond took up the challenge of saving the High. Line.

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AIMS–

To tell the story of the High Line from the mid eighteen hundreds until the present day.

To evaluate the leadership, the management of resources and the success of the final product.

To discuss the problems encountered and the solutions found.

To explain how the High Line made the transition from a rail line to a park.

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Manhattan’s waterfront along the Hudson River had become highly industrialised and in 1847 the City of New York authorised street

level railroad tracks to run down Manhattan’s West Side.

WEST SIDE FREIGHT LINE

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THE WEST SIDE COWBOYS

By 1920 at grade crossings had caused so many accidents and deaths that men on horseback were hired to ride ahead of trains waving red flags to warn pedestrians.

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THE ELEVATED WEST SIDE FREIGHT LINE

1927- Proposals are made for an elevated rail line to remove freight trains from New York City’s streets.

1931- Construction begins on the elevated section of the West Side Freight Line.

1933- The first train runs on the

High Line.

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1960 - The demand for freight train services decreases, due in part to the new interstate highway system allowing an increase in freight truck usage.

1980 – The final train runs on the High Line, reportedly carrying three box-cars full of frozen turkeys.

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David and Hammond met in 1999 at a community board meeting which had been held to discuss the future of the High Line.

Realising that they were the only people interested in saving the High Line they decided to join forces.

At this meeting CSX Transportation (owners of the structure) introduced the idea of creating a trail.

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Neither David or Hammond had any experience in preservation, architecture, horticulture or working with the community or The City.

Phil Aarons (principle of a local real estate firm )was one of their early allies.

Aarons organised and paid for the group to become legally incorporated as a non-profit.

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The first challenge faced by Friends of the High Line gaining getting support.

A brochure was designed and Hammond persuaded a business contact to design a logo for free.

The printing of the brochure was directly funded by donations from the community.

CSX allowed Friends of the High Line to bring potential supporters up onto the High Line.

This trick helped to gain the support of City Council members Christine Quinn and Gifford Miller.

The Municipal Art Society, the Design Trust for Public Space and three local art galleries also pledged support.

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The Chelsea Property Owners were the biggest opposition that Friends of the High Line had other than the Giuliani administration.

In 1992 they successfully petitioned for a Conditional Abandonment Order from the Surface Transportation Board.

While the Conditional Abandonment Order was in place the Surface Transportation Board would not issue a Certificate of Interim Trail Use.

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There were numerous groups with interests in the High Line. CSX TransportationThe owners of the underlying landThe local communityThe city governmentThe federal government

A strategy was formed to legally oppose demolition until Giuliani term-limited out at the end of the year.

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At the start of 2002 Michael Bloomberg was elected as mayor, Gifford Miller was elected

speaker of the City Council and Amanda Burden was appointed as Bloomberg’s

Planning Chair.

An economic feasibility study requested by Bloomberg predicted an

additional $75 million in revenue over 20 years.

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ROUTE MAP

Re-zoning of High Line District and transfer of development rights

Property owners remove objections

Certificate of Interim Trail Use

Ownership transferred to City

High Line Rail Banked

RAISE PROFILE – RAISE FUNDS

Lobbyist hired in Washington

Full time fund raiser hired

$15.75 million given by City Council

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WINNING DESIGN

4 teams paid to develop ideas.

The winning design incorporated a lot of the original flora and the

tracks.

Revealing the structure.

“The design consistently blurs the line between nature and

architecture.” (Schneider 2007)

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In 2005 rezoning was completed, the property owners withdrew their objections, a Certificate of Interim Trail

Use was issued and a trail use agreement was negotiated.

The City Council raised their funding to $61 million.

$18 million federal funding was also secured.

A corporate funding scheme was organised.

Roughly $50 million was also given in private donations.

In February 2005 with community and government

backing and millions of dollars of funding in place construction

began on the High Line.

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Section 1 opened 4 years later.

In the first 2 years more than 4 million people

visited.

There are around 300 events scheduled on the

high line each year.

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HURDLES

Community .opposition

Political opposition

Lack of expertise

Funding

STRENGTHS

Resource management

The ability to inspire .people

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THE END