CB2 Land Use Committee calls for larger vision for Gansevoort area; agrees to draft resolution

Committee members spent a large portion of the May 14 meeting discussing a broader planning vision for Gansevoort, the surrounding West Chelsea parcels and adjacent publicly owned streets. Members framed the discussion as a follow-on to the site-control conversation: while security and maintenance address short-term risks, several members argued that the accelerated transfer or redevelopment of the central site presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reconfigure the street grid, produce housing and integrate cultural uses.

Why it matters: Participants said the site is publicly owned or adjacent to state-owned parcels and therefore could be an anchor for coordinated planning that balances housing, cultural institutions and public space. Several members called for a concise inventory of adjacent lots, simple massings and maps that show how additional publicly owned parcels could expand the development footprint. Janine, a commenter, urged the committee to engage elected officials and stressed political advocacy: "we need to reach out to Eric [Eddie?] ... push them to get on board." Committee members said they will compile a clear, illustrated position to present to elected officials and to use in outreach to potential design teams or competitions.

Key points:

- Scale of opportunity: Members repeatedly noted that land west of the High Line, including the meatpacking parcel, the state DOT sliver on Tenth Avenue and adjacent lots, amounts to a substantial, underutilized footprint. The committee discussed the idea of a master plan or design competition to unlock high-quality design, greater housing yield and improved street relationships.

- Next steps and political engagement: Janine and others recommended targeted outreach to the districtcouncil member and state lawmakers, and to identify a convener with the leverage to bring property owners, cultural institutions and funders together. Committee members suggested WXY and other firms as possible design partners to prepare illustrative massings.

- Design excellence and housing: Members emphasized design excellence, adaptive reuse where viable, resilient infrastructure and maximizing affordable housing as key principles. One member recommended design-excellence review and competitions as a vehicle to attract high-level design thinking without automatically increasing cost.

Committee outcome and next steps: The committee agreed to place a focused agenda item for the next monthly meeting to assemble an initial inventory (parcels and square footage), simple massing diagrams and a short draft resolution that would (1) record CB2support for a broader planning conversation; (2) request engagement from elected officials and city agencies; and (3) call for a design-excellence approach tied to affordable housing outcomes. Members asked staff to collect maps and parcel data and to circulate a draft resolution for comment before a vote at the next meeting.