Latest news with #MidtownSouthMixed-UsePlan
Time Out
a day ago
- Business
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3,000 affordable homes planned for Midtown as part of neighborhood rezoning project
The Garment District's next runway show won't feature couture—it'll feature condos. And rentals. And, crucially, loads of affordable apartments. On Thursday, the City Council gave the green light to the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, a sweeping rezoning that will bring roughly 9,700 new apartments (including about 3,000 permanently affordable units) to a 42-block swath of Midtown South covering parts of the Garment District, Chelsea and Flatiron. It's the largest residential neighborhood rezoning Manhattan's seen in two decades and it finally lifts 1960s-era zoning rules that treated living in this central, transit-rich area like a zoning violation. Right now, most of these blocks, stretching from 23rd to 40th streets between Fifth and Eighth Avenues, are dominated by manufacturing zoning that makes new housing a non-starter. MSMX swaps that out for higher-density residential districts (R11 and R12, for the zoning wonks) paired with Mandatory Inclusionary Housing rules. That means every new apartment building or residential conversion will have to include income-restricted units—many for households making 40–80-percent of the area median income—and at least half of those will be two-bedrooms or larger. 'This is about turning one of our most centrally located neighborhoods into an actual neighborhood,' Mayor Eric Adams said after the unanimous Council vote. 'A place where New Yorkers can live closer to jobs, parks, and amenities instead of commuting from miles away.' Not that it's going to be a demolition derby. Most new housing will rise on vacant or underused sites, with some office-to-residential conversions made easier by the city's recent 'City of Yes' zoning updates. Landmark buildings are safe and many big early-20th-century loft structures here already pack more density than the new rules allow. Getting garment businesses on board took some tailoring. Early opposition gave way after the city pledged to preserve manufacturing space and invest $120 million in economic development for the area, part of a larger $448 million package of community benefits and infrastructure upgrades. The Landmarks Preservation Commission also just granted landmark status to five historic garment-industry buildings. The rezoning will also bring a few street-level perks: Plans are back on for a dedicated, car-free 34th Street busway, plus pedestrian plazas and play areas along Broadway from 21st to 42nd Streets.
Time Out
25-06-2025
- Business
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New Yorkers can weigh in on where the city should build 100,000 new homes in Manhattan
Manhattan might be the city's most iconic borough, but when it comes to new housing? It's been falling flat. Now, Mayor Eric Adams wants your help to turn that around. As part of a sweeping new initiative dubbed The Manhattan Plan, City Hall is calling on New Yorkers to weigh in on where and how to build 100,000 new homes across the borough over the next decade. You don't need to be a planner or a policy wonk, just someone who lives, works or dreams of affording rent in Manhattan. The city has launched a public survey to gather feedback on potential housing sites, zoning tweaks and your personal thoughts on what makes living in Manhattan possible—or impossible. In-person events and neighborhood outreach are also planned throughout the summer. It's part of a larger push to reverse a decades-long slowdown in Manhattan housing production. From 2021 to 2024, Manhattan built fewer homes than every borough except Staten Island. Meanwhile, rents have surged by 50% since 2010 and nearly half of Manhattanites are considered rent-burdened. At the heart of the plan is a major rezoning of Midtown South, where housing has long been off-limits. The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan aims to add nearly 10,000 new homes—including 2,800 income-restricted apartments—across a 42-block area from 23rd to 40th Street and 5th to 8th Avenue. The City Planning Commission approved the plan this month and a City Council vote is expected this summer. Mayor Adams announced the plan in his 2025 State of the City address and called it 'a tribute to this borough's long history as a place where families from all over the world could come to start their American Dream.' His administration hopes the initiative will help make Manhattan more affordable, family-friendly and livable again.
