The portion of the High Line from 20th through 30th Streets will open spring 2011. Upon completion, the High Line will stretch one mile. The second section of the park will feature a walkway that travels through magnolia trees and is elevated fifteen feet above the park.

The second phase of the popular High Line park is underway. The elevated rail line, which now stops at 20th Street, will continue through 30th Street. The second phase of the High Line will feature a lawn and a "glass and metal frame" floor. The original railroad tracks will also be featured more prominently. Proponents hope the second phase will be completed by spring 2011.

Though the City has celebrated the recent opening of Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the High Line, paying for the upkeep of these parks has been a challenge. The parks were constructed with the idea that they would be supported by public-private partnerships. However, securing private funding has been more difficult than imagined and a long-term strategy is still needed.

On Thursday April 1st, the community group Friends of the High Line and the Parks Department announced that the second section of the High Line between 20th and 30th Streets will open in 2011. It was originally scheduled to open this fall. Construction on the second portion has been underway for about six months.

As a result of the Certification of the Plan issued by the Department of City Planning on January 27th, the Uniform Land Use Review Process has begun for the remaining half-mile of the High Line. The Friends of the High Line community group has expressed their contentment concerning the city's move to acquire the remainder of the park.

In a first step towards acquiring the final portion of the High Line park, the City kicked off its land use review process late last week for a half-mile portion of railroad still owned CSX Transportation. The High Line, an elevated park converted from an old railroad, opened last year.

New York City is facing a $2 million lawsuit over walkway hazards at the High Line. A resident sued after breaking her ankle- the result of tripping over uneven concrete. New York City park advocates have stated that the High Line consists of flawed walkway designs that pose a threat to pedestrians.

The Department of City Planning has announced plans to conduct a public-review process that would ultimately enable the city to take ownership of the remaining segment of the High Line. The northern section, spanning from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street, is still controlled by CSX railroad. This news has been received favorably by the local group, Friends of the High Line.

City Planning Commissioner, Amanda Burden, announced plans to extend the High Line Park to the north. Burden mentioned that the northern part of the line will complete the original vision of a 1.5 mile High Line. She also stated that the City has begun the public review process which will lead into negotiations for purchasing remaining parts of the High Line Park.

Robert Hammond, co-founder, president and executive director of Friends of the High Line, currently earns an annual salary of $250,000 and has been paid an aggregate of nearly $1.2 million for his ten years working on the High Line project. The salary places Hammond as one of the best-paid directors of a New York park conservancy.