The Vessel, a tourist attraction structure at Hudson Yards, will reopen Monday after closing for three years due to a series of suicides.
The 150-foot tall structure opened in 2019, attracting visitors and locals who enjoyed climbing its 154 interconnected flights of stairs.
But in 2021, Hudson Yards’ owners, Related Cos., closed the attraction after four people died by jumping from the structure.
Related announced in April the Vessel would be reopening, but at the time did not provide a date for the occasion. The reopened Vessel will include steel mesh on the upper levels to prevent people from jumping off.
Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Daily News
NYPD 10th Precinct Officers are seen at the Hudson Yards Vessel Sculpture after a unidentified person jumped to his death from the top of the structure Tuesday morning.
Only certain parts of the structure — those with the new safety features — will be open to the public. The very top level will remain closed because Related couldn’t fit it with mesh.
“Not a day goes by that we don’t have visitors walking up to our staff asking where they can buy tickets and when it will reopen,” Related CEO Jeff Blau said in a statement. “That interest hasn’t diminished during the time we’ve been closed, and we’re excited to welcome guests from all around the world back to Vessel with additional safety measures in place.”
Related said the mesh would allow people to enjoy the views from the Vessel while providing a new level of safety.
In February 2020, a 19-year-old man from New Jersey jumped from the top of the Vessel, less than a year after its March 2019 opening, followed by a 24-year-old woman from Brooklyn in December 2020, and a 21-year-old Texas man in January 2021.
Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Daily News
Two tall cranes are seen placing nets around the Vessel Sculpture at the Hudson on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.
After that, Hudson Yards closed the Vessel for four months, beefed up security and prevented people from climbing the structure by themselves. However, in July 2021, a 14-year-old boy, reportedly visiting with his New Jersey family, jumped to his death from the eighth floor of the attraction, leading to the yearslong closure.
“While we think it took Related four lives too many to make these physical adjustments, these are the changes we requested, which will allow for prioritizing the safety of everyone who visits the Vessel,” Manhattan Community Board 4 Chairwoman Jessica Chait told The Associated Press in April.
With News Wire Services
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