Request for Proposals Outline Vision for Up to 600 Units of Mixed-Income Housing with Goal of 50 Percent as Permanently Affordable, Ground Floor Retail
Part of Broader Commitment to Cement Meatpacking District as Premier Global Destination and Economic Engine
Announced in Mayor Adams’ Fourth State of the City Address, Gansevoort Square Redevelopment Part of Ambitious “Manhattan Plan” That Will Add 100,000 New Homes in Borough Over Next Decade
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball today announced the next steps in the reimagining of Gansevoort Square — located on Little West 12th Street between Washington Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan — that will result in a combination of more affordable housing for New Yorkers and new retail space for local residents and visitors. The Request for Proposals (RFP) outlines a vision for up to 600 units of mixed-income housing — with a goal of 50 percent of total units being permanently affordable — and ground-floor retail space, both which will be located on the residential site of Gansevoort Square. First announced in October 2024, this bold redevelopment will transform the approximately 66,000 square feet at Gansevoort Square into mixed-income housing units, new open space, and the opportunity to expand the Whitney Museum of American Art and the High Line — cementing the Meatpacking District as a global destination, economic engine, and cultural and artistic hub for the city. The Gansevoort Square redevelopment project — including the residential site and Whitney Museum Expansion — is expected to create 2,600 construction jobs and more than 160 permanent jobs. Finally, the full project is expected to generate $940 million in economic impact.
The Gansevoort Square redevelopment project is a component of Mayor Adams’ “Manhattan Plan,” first announced in his fourth State of the City address. The Manhattan Plan will include the Adams administration’s Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, public sites, and more to unlock opportunities to create 100,000 new homes in the borough, bringing the total number of homes in Manhattan to 1 million over the next decade.
“We’re tackling generational, city-changing projects in all five boroughs because our administration doesn’t shy away from challenges — we embrace them as opportunities to deliver for New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “Today, we’re taking the next step on an ambitious project — transforming 66,000 square feet at Gansevoort Square into 600 mixed-income housing units, massive new, open space, and the city’s next cultural and artistic hub. The potential we have here is endless, and we’re excited to take the next steps towards turning our vision into a reality. We are building a new, exciting chapter in Manhattan to make our city more affordable and the best place to raise a family."
“The Adams administration is committed to rapidly increasing affordable housing for all New Yorkers,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “As part of the Manhattan Plan and Executive Order 43, this request for proposals is a win-win-win for housing, jobs, and quality of life. At Gansevoort Square, we will address the city’s urgent housing needs, generate thousands of jobs, and create vibrant, new open spaces for those who live, work, and play in the Meatpacking District.”
"The redevelopment of Gansevoort Square marks a transformative milestone for the city by delivering much-needed mixed-income housing, creating more open space, while supporting beloved institutions like the High Line and the Whitney Museum," said NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball. "As part of the administration's commitment to addressing the city's housing crisis, NYCEDC is proud to get this historic project underway and looks forward to selecting a developer that will bring to life a bold vision of housing, local businesses, and cultural vibrancy in the heart of Manhattan."
In August 2024, the Gansevoort Meat Market — the site’s current tenant — elected to leave the site early in cooperation with NYCEDC and the City of New York. This redevelopment will activate the block and build upon the evolution of the Meatpacking District, reimagining the site as a one-of-a-kind destination for New Yorkers with mixed-income housing, new publicly-accessible open space, and the opportunity to expand the Whitney Museum of American Art and the High Line operations facility — two of the city’s most iconic cultural institutions. The RFP comes after a robust public engagement effort, including three public sessions with over 100 attendees, as well as a land use presentation to Community Board 2 with over 200 attendees.
A competitive response to this RFP must describe a comprehensive plan to accomplish the following goals:
- Deliver up to 600 mixed-income residential units with a goal of 50 percent of total units as permanently affordable;
- Achieve or exceed the goal of 50 percent of total units as permanently affordable without public subsidy by leveraging the value generated by market-rate residential units and ground-floor retail space;
- Design the site to encourage active street life and creatively design the building to become an iconic addition to the New York City skyline, joining the illustrious architecture along the High Line;
- Promote sustainability, energy efficiency, carbon neutrality, and resiliency; and
- Responsibly develop the project to advance goals of creating quality construction and building service jobs while adhering to applicable wage standards and labor protections.
NYCEDC is seeking proposals that utilize the site’s full potential to provide below-market residential units without public subsidy under the terms of this RFP. The site is well-positioned to leverage cross-subsidization through value generated by market-rate units and ground-floor retail space. Responses are expected to maximize total affordability to achieve or exceed the goal of 50 percent of units as permanently affordable.
Proposals are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on April 30, 2025. For more information and details on how to apply, visit NYCEDC’s website. NYCEDC anticipates selecting a developer by the end of 2025. The project anticipates certifying into the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure by the end of 2026, with expected completion in mid-to-late 2027.
Mayor Adams has made historic investments toward creating affordable housing and ensuring more New Yorkers have a place to call home over the last three years. In June 2024, City Hall and the City Council agreed on an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invests $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Housing Authority’s capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed a record $26 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a generational housing crisis. In July 2024, Mayor Adams announced back-to-back record-breaking years in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing. Last spring, the city celebrated the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years with the Willets Point transformation.
Further, the Adams administration is using every tool available to address the city’s housing crisis. Mayor Adams announced multiple new tools, including a $4 million state grant, to help New York City homeowners create accessory dwelling units that will not only help them to afford to remain in the communities they call home, but also to build generational wealth for their families. In August 2023, Mayor Adams announced the issuance of Executive Order 43, requiring city agencies to review their city-owned and controlled land for potential housing development sites.
Mayor Adams and members of his administration also successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that will spur the creation of urgently-needed housing. These tools include a new tax incentive for multifamily rental construction, a tax incentive program to encourage office conversions to create more affordable units, lifting the arbitrary “floor-to-area ratio” cap that held back affordable housing production in certain high-demand areas of the city, and the ability to create a pilot program to legalize and make safe basement apartments.
Additionally, under Mayor Adams’ leadership, the city is fulfilling its 2024 State of the City commitment to build more affordable housing, including by creating the Tenant Protection Cabinet to coordinate across agencies to better serve tenants. The city has also taken several steps to cut red tape and speed up the delivery of much-needed housing, including through the “Green Fast Track for Housing,” a streamlined environmental review process for qualifying small- and- medium-sized housing projects; the “Office Conversion Accelerator,” an interagency effort to guide buildings that wish to convert through city bureaucracy; and other initiatives of the Building and Land Use Approval Streamlining Taskforce.
“Gansevoort Square is a fantastic opportunity to reimagine a former meat market as a vibrant mixed-income community in the heart of Lower Manhattan," said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. "At a time when we must build to address the housing crisis, this site has the awesome potential for 600 units, with half planned to be permanently affordable. More than housing, Gansevoort Square will become a community unto itself, creating new public and retail spaces, as well as expansion of the Whitney and the High Line — two of the most beloved attractions in the entire city. It will also be an engine of growth, creating 2,600 construction jobs, over 160 permanent jobs, and almost a billion dollars in economic impact. This project advances the ‘Manhattan Plan’ goal of building 100,000 new units of housing in the borough. I am proud of my work to expedite these projects, passing legislation to modernize the procurement process and authoring new bills to speed up construction. Together, we will realize expansive, inclusive growth of our housing stock that supports all New Yorkers.”
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