More High Line Park in the News

photo: inhabitat

As you can tell I love the High Line Park and what an old, ugly, neglect relict of the past has done of New York. Two recent postings share some additional information on the great energy that is happening in that area.

An article from yesterday's New York Times  (High Line May Mix Pasat with Koons's Vision) details that the noted and sometimes controversial artist Jeff Koons has been in talks with High Line founders Robert Hammond and Joshua David about a $25 million sculpture called simply "the Train" which would highlight the history of the elevated line. The sculpture would be a full-size replica of a 1943 Baldwin 2900 steam locomotive.

photo:wikipedia.org

The Park is currently looking for a donor to support Koons's work but if their recent experiences at fundraising are any indication it should be too tough. In November, CSX Transportation Inc. had agreed to donate the third section of the elevated rail bed that has been planned.  Also the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation announced a $20 million gift to the park. Diana von Furstenberg had previously given $15 million to the Park. This for a park that is only three years old.

Also, according to the website Initiative for a Competitive Inner City the City of New York "invested $115 million on the park, and in return, there has been over $2 billion in private investment surrounding the park. There were 8,000 new construction jobs added which related to the project, as well as 12,000 additional jobs as a result of the area's redevelopment. In many cases, residential and commercial properties around the park have more than doubled sine the High Line's new parks have opened."