City Planning Shares Draft Zoning Plan for Midtown South

 

 

Vision for Nearly 4,000 New Homes, including 1,000 Income-Restricted Homes Plan Would Open Door to Mixed-Use Development and Conversions, Bolster Vital Businesses and Jobs 

Builds on Six Months of In-Person and Online Community Input Scoping Meeting to Take Place April 18

New York Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick announced the release of the draft zoning plan for Midtown South, the next step toward a formal land use proposal from the city. Building on six months of community feedback, the draft plan envisions a 24/7 mixed-use neighborhood across 42 Manhattan blocks where housing today is not permitted. 

 

“This centrally-located, transit-rich area should be one of the most exciting, vibrant areas of the city, but outdated zoning is holding it back. Thanks to this community-focused planning approach, the future of Midtown South is looking bright,” said Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick. 

 

Centrally located in Manhattan with easy access to transit and amenities, the area of Midtown South – covering four quadrants between 23^rd and 40^th Streets and 5^th and 8^th Avenues – is home to over 7,000 businesses and 135,000 jobs. While the neighborhood has a strong economic base, it faces challenges including shifting work patterns, office and retail vacancies, an aging building stock and decades-old zoning rules that preclude the creation of new housing and limit opportunities for New Yorkers to live close to their jobs. 

 

The Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) Draft Zoning Plan 

The MSMX draft zoning plan seeks to address these challenges by permitting new housing, mapping Mandatory Inclusionary Housing requirements for permanently income-restricted homes, allowing for live-work opportunities, and adopting flexible residential conversion rules. With these changes, the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan could create nearly 4,000 new homes, of which between 800 and 1,110 would be income-restricted. 

 

To achieve these goals, the draft zoning plan envisions high-density, mixed-use zoning districts that allow not only manufacturing but also commercial and residential uses. This would allow for a range of uses that create much-needed new housing in this central, transit-accessible neighborhood while continuing to enable manufacturing-focused industries. The plan will also craft urban design rules that make sure new developments reflect the existing, beloved loft character of the neighborhood.  

These goals and strategies will continue to be refined over the coming months, as the public continues to weigh in with its vision for the area, and as DCP collaborates with stakeholders and partners to refine Midtown South. The draft zoning plan precedes the start of environmental review, which itself precedes the formal ULURP process for an eventual rezoning. DCP will continue to gather input from New Yorkers throughout these stages about how best to create a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood, using both zoning and non-zoning tools. 

 

Impact of City of Yes initiatives 

Additional income-restricted housing could be created in this neighborhood through City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, a citywide plan to address New York City’s housing shortage. City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposes Universal Affordability Preference in medium- and high-density districts like Midtown South that would let buildings add about 20% more housing if those additional homes are permanently affordable. The Adams Administration also continues to advocate in Albany for additional tools to unlock much-needed housing in Midtown South and across New York, including tax incentive programs for new mixed-income development and for office conversions, and for the State to lift the arbitrary and outdated “FAR cap” on residential density that caps the allowable residential square footage in New York City at 12 times the lot area. 

 

Alongside residential development, the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan prioritizes job-generating uses in office, wholesale, manufacturing, and creative sectors. To make it easier for businesses to locate and expand in the area, DCP will align this plan with City of Yes for Economic Opportunity, which the City Planning Commission voted to approve on Wednesday, March 6, and now heads to the City Council for consideration. Finally, as part of MSMX, DCP will work with its partner agencies to improve the public realm and address quality of life concerns. 

 

Planning Process 

The MSMX draft zoning plan was based on community input through ongoing public engagement events beginning in October 2023, including a kickoff meeting, seven stakeholder roundtables with residents, business owners, local groups, non-profit organizations and social service providers, one-on-one conversations between New Yorkers and staff, and online tools like an interactive map and survey. 

 

“The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan is a visionary step towards revitalizing the Garment District,” said Barbara A. Blair, president of the Garment District Alliance. “In addition to furthering our district’s transformation into a 24/7 neighborhood, this plan addresses the challenges impacting our community – principally, the critical need for housing – and we look forward to our continued work with the Department of City Planning to bring it to fruition.” 

 

“For Midtown South to flourish in the future, it’s imperative that antiquated zoning rules be updated to allow a more vibrant mix of commercial, manufacturing, and residential uses—particularly affordable housing. We look forward to supporting the Department of City Planning's community-centered approach to developing a formal rezoning proposal, and working with our neighborhood stakeholders to cultivate a more prosperous Midtown South that benefits all New Yorkers, whether they come here to live, work, or visit,” said James Mettham, President of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership. 

 

Following the release of this draft zoning plan, DCP will conduct environmental review on the proposal. On Thursday, April 18, DCP will hold a scoping meeting, where the public can weigh in on the issues to be studied in the environmental review. DCP will continue to share the draft approach and gather feedback from New Yorkers over the coming months before starting the formal public review process by the end of 2024.  

 

To sign up for the scoping meeting or to learn more about the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan,  

visit www.MidtownSouthPlan.nyc. 

 

Department of City Planning 

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City. 

 

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space. 

MAYOR ADAMS, BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL OF GREATER NEW YORK, CIRRUS ANNOUNCE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD WORKFORCE HOUSING IN NYC

Union Pensions, Cirrus Pledge Over $100 Million in Initial Stages to Build Affordable Housing for Working-Class New Yorkers

 

Latest Effort in Adams Administration’s Commitment to Use Every Tool to Address Housing Crisis 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and Vicinity (BCTC) President Gary LaBarbera, and Cirrus Workforce Housing Advisors, LP (Cirrus) today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership to build workforce housing — housing at greater affordability levels — in New York City designed for essential workers. Pension funds affiliated with BCTC members and other Building Trades unions, along with Cirrus, have pledged more than $100 million in an initial fundraising stage to invest in a series of multi-family workforce housing development and redevelopment projects in New York City at levels their members can afford. Cirrus expects to raise a total of over $400 million for this initiative. 

 

To support the new effort, the City of New York has signed a historic memorandum of understanding with BCTC and Cirrus to facilitate the development of affordable housing, including workforce housing, to meet the crisis of undersupply facing New York City. The agreement demonstrates how government, labor, and private enterprise can partner to build the city out of the housing crisis and comes as state lawmakers consider a package of new affordable housing tools and the Adams administration's historic “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” nears the beginning of the city's public review process.

 

“As the blue-collar mayor of America’s biggest union town, I have been clear that our mission is to create good-paying jobs and make our city more livable for hardworking New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “This first-of-its-kind agreement will help build housing that is affordable for the New Yorkers who have built our city and help New York City lead on the affordable housing crisis facing our nation.”

 

“New York City is a union town — and our union workers should be able to afford to live here,” said Chief Advisor to the Mayor Ingrid P. Lewis-Martin. “This innovative partnership will put as much as half a billion dollars towards building more homes that workers can afford. I’m grateful to our partners in labor and development for joining us in our shared mission to ensure that everyone can make it here in New York City.”

 

“Creating housing for working people exemplifies the innovation of this administration” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “This public-private partnership is one new model for what housing finance can look like and creates space that working New Yorkers can afford. I thank BCTC and Cirrus for their partnership, and for helping us lead by example to fight our housing crisis.”

 

“The data is clear: We need more housing, especially housing that working New Yorkers can afford —  and this innovative public-private partnership will deliver just that,” said Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “By investing in our workers and our city’s future, our partnership will help us build a city where all New Yorkers can make it.”

 

“Combatting our housing crisis requires innovative solutions, new sources of capital, and strong partnerships,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “This path-breaking new partnership between the City of New York, the Building and Construction Trades, and Cirrus Workforce Housing is yet another demonstration of the administration’s unrelenting commitment to using every tool available to bring relief for working-class New Yorkers.”

 

“The Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and Vicinity is proud to be part of this historic partnership with the City of New York and Cirrus,” said Gary LaBarbera, president, BCTC. “This partnership will lead to the development of affordable workforce housing under negotiated Project Labor Agreements that will create family sustaining union careers for New Yorkers. We believe that the union funds investing in this program have demonstrated tremendous vision and we look forward to building the housing supply for the city’s working class.”

 

“Cirrus is excited to align as part of a public-private partnership with the City of New York and organized labor in an innovative, first-of-its-kind program that will provide much needed workforce housing for those who make the city work,” said Joe McDonnell, managing partner, Cirrus Real Estate Partners.

 

Released last month, the New York City Housing Vacancy Survey showed that its vacancy rate has dropped to its lowest since 1968, with many middle- and low- income New Yorkers experiencing increasing rent burden. For more than a century, government and labor have partnered together to build housing that the union workforce and other working-class residents can afford. More than 100,000 New Yorkers live in apartments built by the labor movement between 1926 and 1974, the majority through an organization called the United Housing Foundation.

 

To help combat the housing and affordability crisis, BCTC — in partnership with Cirrus — is pooling pension funds from eleven union funds. The goal is to invest in New York City-based housing projects that will deliver affordability at 80 to 140 percent area median income, and that is located near transit, that advances sustainable building goals, and that will be constructed under a negotiated project labor agreement with BCTC reflecting responsible contracting policies to advance fair wages, health and retirement benefits, and apprenticeships and other job training programs.

 

The new agreement outlines opportunities to create more affordable housing, including, as appropriate, by partnering on mixed-income housing projects with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development; helping to accelerate qualified projects by enrolling them in the Adams administration's Housing-at-Risk Task Force; exploring opportunities for financing and development through partner entities, such as the New York City Housing Development Corporation and the New York City Economic Development Corporation; and leveraging city-owned properties to create affordable housing, among other areas.

 

The agreement also builds on the Adams administration's efforts to use every tool at its disposal to accelerate housing production and deliver the affordability New Yorkers need and deserve. Earlier this week, Mayor Adams announced a new initiative to provide up to $50 million to help Minority Business Enterprises developers overcome historical financial barriers and fully participate in the development of critically needed affordable housing for New Yorkers. Additionally, this past calendar year, Mayor Adams announced the city had closed on financing for the creation of an all-time record 14,227 new affordable homes and directly connected more New Yorkers to homes than ever before in the city’s history, bringing nearly 13,000 households into affordable units.

 

To accelerate housing production and deliver relief to New Yorkers, the Adams administration has advanced a number of creative solutions, including its “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” proposal to build 100,000 additional homes through significant pro-housing reforms to the city’s zoning code; an office conversation accelerator; new proposed rules to streamline approvals for sustainable housing; and several pilot programs to help fund the creation of accessory dwelling units, help move New Yorkers out of shelters and into renovated apartments, and fuel mixed-income development in neighborhoods across the city; among other innovative efforts.