Friends Of The High Line Inc

FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE IS A NON-PROFIT PARK CONSERVANCY RESPONSIBLE FOR (SEE CONT ON SCH O) MAINTAINING AND OPERATING AN EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC SPACE ON THE HIGH LINE. THE HIGH LINE IS A 1.45-MILE ELEVATED FREIGHT RAIL LINE TRANSFORMED INTO A PUBLIC PARK ON MANHATTAN'S WEST SIDE.

HIGH LINE OPERATIONSIN 2022, FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE HAD YET ANOTHER YEAR OF EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORDS FOR OPERATIONS IN SECTIONS 1, 2, AND 3 OF THE PARK, FROM GANSEVOORT STREET TO WEST 34TH STREET.PARK OPERATIONS CONTINUED TO INCLUDE COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOL IN ACCORDANCE WITH CDC AND NEW YORK STATE GUIDELINES. THE OPERATIONS TEAM CLEARED RECORD SNOWFALL, MAINTAINED TRASH REMOVALS (APPROXIMATELY 4,500 BAGS OF RECYCLING AND 17,000 BAGS OF TRASH), AND SUPPORTED THE RESUMING OPERATION OF THE FOOD PROGRAM, PUBLIC PROGRAMS, FUNDRAISING EVENTS, CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS, AND ACTIVATIONS IN THE PARK.(SEE CONT IN SCH O)THE TEAM MANAGED GARDENS THROUGHOUT THE PARK INCLUDING PLANTING (OVER 5,000 PLANTS), WEEDING, PRUNING, WATERING, AND 210 BAGS OF PLANT DEBRIS REMOVAL WITH OUR PUBLIC PARTNERS' COMPOSTING PROGRAM (180 CUBIC YARDS). SO FAR, THE PARK HAS WELCOMED OVER 4.5 MILLION VISITORS AND PROVIDED SAFE AND EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES FOR VISITORS AND STAFF.AS AN EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMITMENT AS AN ORGANIZATION TO PARK EQUITY IN NYC, THE OPERATIONS TEAM DONATED AN ESTIMATED $3,600 IN VALUE FOR TRASH CAN RECEPTACLES, $500 IN PLANT MATERIAL, $1,600 IN PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT TO MATERIALS FOR THE ARTS, AND $400 IN ARTIFICIAL TURF TO GREENTHUMB NEW YORK CITY COMMUNITY GARDENS AND NYC PARKS DEPARTMENT. TOTAL 2022 DONATIONS TO DATE AMOUNT TO $6,100.

PROGRAMMING, ART & EDUCATIONIN 2022, FHL EXHIBITED THE WORK OF 17 ARTISTS IN THE PARK, INCLUDING 6 VIDEO EXHIBITIONS, 2 PERFORMANCE COMMISSIONS, 5 SCULPTURE COMMISSIONS, 1 MURAL, AND THE ONGOING PRESENTATION OF THE SECOND MONUMENTAL HIGH LINE PLINTH COMMISSION. IN ADDITION, THE ART DEPARTMENT BEGAN THE PROPOSAL PROCESS FOR THE FIFTH AND SIXTH HIGH LINE PLINTH COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING INVITING 12 GLOBAL CURATORS TO NOMINATE 53 ARTISTS FOR THE NEXT PLINTH COMMISSIONS.THE HIGH LINE NETWORK--FHL'S PROGRAM SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE REUSE LEADERS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA--ACCOMPLISHED SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES IN 2022. AFTER TWO YEARS OF RESEARCH, (SEE CONT IN SCH O) THE COMMUNITY FIRST TOOLKIT WAS OFFICIALLY RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC IN MAY 2022. BOTH A PROCESS AND SET OF TOOLS, THE TOOLKIT OFFERS GUIDANCE ON EMBEDDING EQUITY IN PUBLIC SPACES. SECONDLY, THE NETWORK HELD ITS SECOND BIENNIAL SYMPOSIUM FOR THE LARGER INFRASTRUCTURE REUSE FIELD IN MIAMI IN OCTOBER. THIS MARKED THE FIRST IN-PERSON CONVENING IN THREE YEARS, AND BROUGHT 250 PUBLIC SPACE LEADERS INTO SHARED CONVERSATION. THE NETWORK ALSO CONTINUED ITS ONGOING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OF BOTH ITS MEMBERS AND THE LARGER FIELD, THROUGH VIRTUAL SESSIONS, IN-PERSON CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, AND WORKSHOPS.FHL'S YOUTH DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO BE A CORE PART OF FHL PROGRAMMING. THROUGH ITS TEENS PROGRAM, FHL PROVIDED EMPLOYMENT CONSISTING OF TRAINING, MENTORSHIP, AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR 40 TEENAGERS WHO EITHER LIVE OR GO TO SCHOOL IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD. FHL TEENS ARE STAFF AT THE HIGH LINE AND WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR PLANNING OUR ANNUAL TEEN NIGHT CELEBRATION. ADDITIONALLY, THEY PRESENTED AT LOCAL COMMUNITY EVENTS AND SERVED AS TOUR GUIDES FOR AN EXHIBIT BASED ON DEMOCRACY.FHL SCHOOLS PROGRAM WORKED IN 4 LOCAL SCHOOLS, AND ONE SCHOOL IN THE BRONX, TO OFFER ENGAGING AND INNOVATIVE CLASSES IN THE AREAS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS, ACTIVISM, AND MATHEMATICS (STEAAM). CURRICULUM WAS CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH PARTNER CLASSROOM TEACHERS AND OUR TEACHING ARTISTS TO MAINTAIN EDUCATIONAL RIGOR AND, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, TO OFFER SCIENCE, ART, OR ELECTIVE HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS TO STUDENTS TO SUPPORT THEM ON THEIR PATH TO GRADUATION. SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS PROVIDED OVER 150 DIRECT SERVICE HOURS TO STUDENTS AND EMPLOYED 5 TEACHING ARTISTS AND 4 TEEN TEACHING ASSISTANTS, WHO MAINTAINED THEIR OWN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN A VARIETY OF DISCIPLINES.IN THE SUMMER OF 2022, FHL HOSTED A SERIES OF 4 FAMILY PROGRAMS ON THE PARK FOR FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FEATURING HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES CENTERING ON THE THEMES OF DEMOCRACY, CITY PLANNING AND ARTS. ALL PROGRAMS WERE DESIGNED AND STAFFED BY TEACHING ARTISTS AND HIGH LINE TEEN STAFF, SERVING AS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE YOUTH. FAMILY PROGRAMS PROVIDED OVER 20 HOURS OF FREE ALL-AGES PROGRAMMING TO VISITORS ON THE HIGH LINE.THE HIGH LINE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT CONTINUED TO WORK ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION TO BUILD ON THE HIGH LINE'S CIVIC ROOTS AND UNIQUE ROLE AS A NEIGHBORHOOD ANCHOR BY FOSTERING NEW AND EXISTING CONNECTIONS WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED.

HIGH LINE PLANNING, CONSTRUCTION AND CAPITAL REPAIRSIN 2022, FHL STARTED CONSTRUCTION ON TWO MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, ADVANCED THE PLANNING AND DESIGN FOR ADDITIONAL SMALL AND LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS, AND COMPLETED A RANGE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THE HIGH LINE.FHL BROKE GROUND ON THE HIGH LINE X MOYNIHAN CONNECTOR PROJECT, A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN FHL, EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT CORP., AND BROOKFIELD PROPERTIES. THE CONNECTOR IS MADE UP OF 2 BRIDGES - THE FIRST IS WOODLAND BRIDGE AND IS PARALLEL TO 30TH ST AND FEATURES TREES AND PLANTS, AND THE SECOND IS THE TIMBER BRIDGE OVER DYER AVE THAT FEATURES A WARREN-TRUSS STRUCTURE. FOUNDATIONS FOR (SEE CONT IN SCH O) THE PROJECT WERE INSTALLED IN FEBRUARY, AND STEEL ERECTION AND THE INSTALLATION OF PRECAST CONCRETE PANELS FOLLOWED IN LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER. SOIL, TREES, AND PLANTS WERE BROUGHT TO SITE AND INSTALLED IN THE FALL. THE TIMBER BRIDGE WILL BE DELIVERED AND INSTALLED IN SPRING 2023, AND THIS PROJECT IS ON SCHEDULE TO BE COMPLETED AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN JUNE 2023.IN ADDITION TO THE CONNECTOR, A MAJOR ACCESSIBILITY-FOCUSED PROJECT FOR THE HIGH LINE ALSO BROKE GROUND: THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE THREE STAIRCASES TO THE HIGH LINE AT 20TH, 26TH, AND 28TH STS. SINCE THE PROJECT SPANS MULTIPLE SITES, THE PROJECT IS BEING PHASED TO LIMIT THE IMPACT TO PARK OPERATIONS. FOUNDATIONS FOR THE 28TH ST SITE WERE COMPLETED IN LATE 2022, AS WELL AS THE FABRICATION OF ALL STRUCTURAL STEEL ELEMENTS AND PRECAST CONCRETE TREADS. THE 28TH ST STAIR IS BEING INSTALLED AND COMPLETED IN SPRING 2023, WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT TEAM SHIFTS TO BEGIN WORK AT THE REMAINING SITES AT 20TH AND 26TH STS. WE ANTICIPATE THAT ALL WORK WILL BE COMPLETED BY SUMMER 2023.THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT TEAM FINALIZED THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS IN LATE 2022 FOR THE 18TH ST PLAZA, A STREET-LEVEL SPACE THAT WILL FEATURE A NEW STAIRCASE TO THE HIGH LINE AS WELL AS SEATING, A LARGE PLANTING BED, AND ART BILLBOARD DISPLAY. THIS PROJECT IS A POPS - A PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC SPACE, AND IS BEING CONSTRUCTED ON BEHALF OF NYC PARKS BY THE PROPERTY OWNER. WE LOOK FORWARD TO COMPLETING AND OPENING TO THE PUBLIC IN SPRING 2024.FHL WELCOMED OUR NEW RESTAURANT TENANT, SHAKE SHACK, IN A STREET-LEVEL SPACE AT 820 WASHINGTON ST IN JULY 2023.DESIGN AND COST ESTIMATING WORK WAS COMPLETED FOR THE WESTERN RAIL YARDS RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT AS WELL AS THE 10TH AVE SQUARE. BOTH PROJECTS WILL BREAK GROUND IN 2023.LASTLY, PLANNING AND DESIGN WORK CONTINUED FOR A NUMBER OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THROUGHOUT 2022. THESE PROJECTS INCLUDED THE INSTALLATION OF FIBER INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT IT NEEDS AT A NEW OFFICE SPACE AT 19TH ST, PROCUREMENT OF FF&E FOR VARIOUS SPACES AT OUR HEADQUARTERS FACILITY TO SUPPORT STAFF NEEDS, AND THE REPAIR AND RECOMMISSIONING OF THE PASSENGER ELEVATOR AT GANSEVOORT ST.