So Far, Community Backs Whitney's Downtown Vision

Plans for a new downtown Whitney Museum that would be situated at the southern end of the High Line in the meatpacking district are being met — at least for now — with support from the community.

"The reaction has been extremely positive," the chairman of Community Board 2, Brad Hoylman, said. "This would result in an enormous cultural amenity for the neighborhood. There are some specific questions about the disposition of the property and some concerns that might require more information, but I am certain there will be more forthcoming."

The Renzo Piano-designed building would be a tiered, six-floor, 185,000-square-foot building on Gansevoort Street at West Street.

The Whitney's director, Adam Weinberg, said yesterday in an interview that the museum has a $680 million capital campaign goal, which covers both the cost of constructing the downtown building and funds to bolster the endowment. In March, the museum's chairman, Leonard Lauder, announced that his art foundation would give $125 million to the museum's endowment.

While the curatorial relationship between the museum's two sites has not yet been determined, Mr. Weinberg said some of the permanent collection would be exhibited in each site. He said the building downtown "is conceived as a comprehensive museum, so it's not like an institution split in half. They're both fully operational museums." He added that the majority of the museum staff would probably be based downtown.

The downtown museum would have an educational facility, a restaurant, a research library, a café, a bookstore, a 175-seat theater, and a study center.

The executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Andrew Berman, said so far he was pleased with the Whitney's public outreach.

"We want more information about the materials and the dimensions of the buildings, which is still not totally clear, but it was a good first presentation," he said.

The project must go through the city's land use review process.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring of next year, with a projected 2012 opening.

A hearing on the variances and land disposition is scheduled for May 15.