Officials Break Ground On Final Part Of High Line Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Construction is set to begin on the final section of the elevated High Line park on the city's west side.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday. The event included politicians, park supporters and schoolchildren who tossed wildflower and native grass seeds onto the High Line as part of the festivities.
1010 WINS' Stan Brooks reports
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The final stretch of the High Line will wrap around the planned Hudson Yards development project between West 30th and West 34th streets.
City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden said the third section will head off in a different direction and get close to the river.
"You turn East-West, you see the skyline, you see the Hudson River behind us," she said. "It's an amazing, amazing experience."
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said not all the rusty rails, weathered ties and weeds will be removed.
"In fact, a portion of the park's walkway will pass alongside landscape reserved almost exactly as it is today," he said.
WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reports
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The park, built on an abandoned rail line, has become one of the city's most popular new attractions. It has had more than 10 million visitors since it opened in 2009.
"It's just beautiful, I love taking people here and I love coming here myself," one man said. "It's just really, really nice."
The Hudson Yards will be developed on the current site of the LIRR storage yard. It'll feature more than 12 million square feet of new office, residential, retail and cultural space and 14 acres of public space.
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
