The iconic Central Park carriage horse industry may soon become a thing of the past as the New York City Council nears a final vote on legislation that appears set to pass. The approximately 300 drivers and owners, unionized under the Transport Workers Union, could see their livelihoods impacted by the bill known as Romanch’s Law.
Stables on Valuable Real Estate
When not pulling visitors through the park, the carriage horses spend their downtime in Manhattan’s few remaining stables, which are situated on valuable lots across the Far West Side. Two stables are located close to the high-rises of Hudson Yards on West 37th and 38th Streets, while a third remains on 52nd Street. The West Side Livery Stable on 38th Street and the connected Central Park Carriages on 37th Street sit on otherwise empty lots, housing horses.
The aging four-story stable buildings, equipped with ramps for the horses, resemble tenement buildings once common throughout the city. They stand out among the sleek residential towers and the luxury mall built atop the rail yard in the past decade. The sunset of the carriage horse industry could open up lucrative development opportunities for the valuable real estate.
Related: Brownsville set for nine-story apartment building
Real Estate Interests and Union Opposition
Some carriage owners and drivers allege that the push to end the industry is motivated by more than animal rights, pointing to the real estate background of Steve Nislick, the founder and president of animal rights nonprofit NYCLASS. Nislick formerly served as the CEO of Edison Properties.
The bill, introduced by Council member Chris Marte, has garnered support from high-profile figures including Speaker Julie Menin and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as well as at least 28 co-sponsors. It aims to phase out the industry over time, but the specific timeline and full ban date are not explicitly stated in the source.
The legislation also includes a requirement for the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to help drivers and industry workers transition to new fields during that period. However, stable owners are determined to stay put after decades of holding out, with some considering the bill a “miscarriage of justice” for the carriage drivers and stable owners.
