MAYOR ADAMS UNVEILS NEW VISION FOR GANSEVOORT SQUARE

 

City, Gansevoort Meat Market Mutually Agree to End Meat Market’s Lease Early, Opening Up 66,000 Square Feet of Opportunity 

   

New Plan Includes Mixed-Income Housing — Without Public Subsidy — New Public Open Space, and Opportunity for Expansion of Cultural Institutions 

 

Builds on ‘New’ New York Panel Vision for 24/7 Live, Work, Play, and Learn Communities 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released a new vision to transform approximately 66,000 square feet in the heart of the Meatpacking District into a 24/7 live, work, play, and learn community and cultural hub for New Yorkers. Known as Gansevoort Square, this vision will build upon the success of the Meatpacking District and reimagine the site as a one-of-a-kind destination for New Yorkers, with mixed-income housing, new public space, and the opportunity to expand the Whitney Museum of American Art and the High Line — some of the city’s most iconic cultural institutions. Unveiled by First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer this morning at the Association for a Better New York, this project will deliver needed affordable housing and open space and cement the Meatpacking District as a global destination and economic engine for the city.  

 

“We’re tackling generational, city-changing projects in all five boroughs, because our administration doesn’t shy away from challenges — we embrace them as opportunities to deliver for New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “Today, we’re thrilled to unveil our next big project — transforming 66,000 square feet at Gansevoort Square into 600 mixed-income housing units, a massive new open pavilion, and the city’s next cultural and artistic hub. The potential we have here is endless, and we’re excited to take the next steps towards turning our vision into a reality. I’m grateful to our partners at the Gansevoort Meat Market, Councilmember Bottcher, the Whitney, the High Line, and more with whom we’re embarking on this next chapter in Gansevoort Square’s history together.” 

 

“The new vision for Gansevoort Square is the type of exciting, forward-looking project our administration is known for and the exact kind of project we want our city to continue to dream up and deliver,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “In one area, we are delivering on much-needed affordable housing, creating more public space, and offering opportunities for two cultural icons to expand. This endeavor requires strong partnership amongst many stakeholders and is a multi-agency collaboration that shows government’s capacity to reinvent.” 

 

“Alongside our partners in the cultural and business communities, we are transforming our central business districts into true live, work, and play hubs with desperately-needed homes, vibrant street life, public art, and all of New York's creativity on full display — making them irresistible to New Yorkers, both new and lifelong,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Gansevoort Square is our newest exciting step to make permanent Manhattan's reawakening post-COVID. I can't wait to see it come to life.” 

 

“This is an incredible opportunity to not only deliver needed housing for New Yorkers, but create a vibrant 24/7 live, work, play, and learn community right in the heart of one of New York’s most iconic neighborhoods,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball. “Through a mutual decision with the Gansevoort Meat Market to leave the site early, we are able to unlock enormous potential to further expand upon what is becoming a premier cultural destination for New Yorkers and tourists alike.” 

 

“The Meatpacking District is an iconic neighborhood, steeped with the city’s social, economic, and cultural history,” said New York City Executive Director for Housing Leila Bozorg. “Reimagining Gansevoort Square provides an exciting opportunity to build on that history, while introducing critical new housing, public open space, and expansion opportunities for important cultural institutions.” 

 

“Culture is at the heart of thriving, healthy neighborhoods, and the potential for this vision to expand space for the Whitney and the High Line alongside new housing would make for a dynamic new hub in the heart of the Meatpacking District,” said New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. “One bold project at a time, our administration is working with partners to build extraordinary amenities that will foster a more affordable and vibrant New York for all of us.”  

 

"The reimagining of Gansevoort Square exemplifies how we can address citywide priorities and integrate green spaces to create a more vibrant and accessible city for all New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “By expanding public open space as well as adding affordable units, we ensure that this neighborhood will continue to thrive as a destination for recreation and community connection.” 

 

“The Whitney and the High Line are treasured institutions on the West Side, and I’m excited that they’re considering this opportunity,” said New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher. “I look forward to working with all stakeholders and the wider community to envision this site for cultural and park uses, along with the potential for much-needed affordable housing.” 

 

“The Gansevoort Market is fortunate to have made our home in the Meat Packing District for nearly a century,” said John Jobbagy, president, Gansevoort Market, Inc. “Many of our members are multigenerational family businesses, employing hundreds of dedicated New Yorkers who serve our city's restaurant and stores. With technological advances, our industry processing practices have changed, and the market building does not meet up-to-date standards for processing and distribution. For the last decade, we have been exploring options for new facilities and better ways of serving our customers. This opportunity has come along at the right time and meets our needs. Our city thrives on advancement and improvement — and we look forward to the creation of new housing for New Yorkers, new open space, and the potential for much more.” 

 

Gansevoort Square — located on Little West 12th Street between Washington Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan — will be partially built on the lot of the Gansevoort Market Co-op. In August, the Gansevoort Meat Market — the site’s current tenant — elected to leave the site early in cooperation with NYCEDC and the City of New York. The initial proposal for this new project includes: 

 

•   Up to 600 mixed-income housing units to further the city’s ambitious housing policy goals and deliver needed affordable units. The city anticipates that this will include as many as 300 affordable units, without the need for any public subsidy. 

•   A new, 11,200-square-foot public open space. 

•   The opportunity for additional development on a 45,000 square foot space, including a potential expansion of the Whitney Museum of American Art — which has a Right of First Offer on the former Meat Market site — with new gallery, education, and learning spaces, as well as potential new High Line facilities.  

 

There will be an upcoming community engagement process that will kick off with conversations with Councilmember Bottcher, Community Board 2, and local partners.  

 

Gansevoort Square stems from the set of recommendations made in the ‘New’ New York panel’s Making New York Work for Everyone action plan, a set of 40 proposals to reimagine New York City's commercial districts as vibrant 24/7 destinations. The action plan focuses on creating business districts that are vibrant, resilient, healthy, and globally competitive in attracting and retaining businesses.