The public review process has begun for the Midtown South Mixed-Use plan, a proposed redevelopment of the area spanning 42 blocks between West 23rd and West 40th Streets, and Fifth to Eighth Avenues in Manhattan. The proposal, directed by the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), intends to introduce roughly 9,700 new residential units, with up to 2,900 designated as income-restricted affordable housing. It is part of Mayor Eric Adams’ broader “Manhattan Plan,” which aims to overhaul outdated zoning laws in the area.
The Midtown South Mixed-Use plan’s aim is to rejuvenate an area that has historically been heavily commercial and industrial. It introduces high-density residential zoning, using new R11 and R12 districts with residential floor area ratios of 15 and 18, made possible by recent legal changes allowing greater housing density.
The plan also emphasizes enhancements to street-level activity and public spaces, with incentives for developers to contribute to public amenities such as accessibility improvements, transit station enhancements, and the provision of public indoor spaces.

Current residential unit density in the area covered by the Midtown South Mixed-Use plan, via midtownsouthplan.nyc
“The Midtown South area has seen its growth and potential stifled by five-decade-old manufacturing zoning, which has prevented it from becoming the housing-rich, vibrant, and transit-oriented 24/7 community it should be,” said Carlo A. Scissura, Esq, president and CEO, New York Building Congress. “With over 135,000 jobs and 7,000 businesses in the area, the potential of Midtown South cannot continue to be squandered. This ambitious plan will harness zoning as a tool to enhance quality of life, bolster the local economy, expand housing opportunity, and foster a thriving, well-connected community. As the plan begins its ULURP, we also applaud DCP’s commitment to community with a plan informed by more than a year of public engagement and research.”
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Very promising! This is the most transit-rich area on the continent—it should have the housing that matches that.
This is good but it could be much better.
Why stop at R15 and R18? Why not have RR50 and R80? Commercial buildings are allowed that much floor area!
State multiple dwelling law caps residential floor area.
This solves nothing. Where are the food stores that serve people of modest means? These building will abut Luxury housing and are not really for anyone but the wealthy. Sounds like they want to dump more projects in flatiron and MoMad.
this will help solve the great lack of supply of housing. There are already some supermarkets around here but more people and new buildings will attract more supermarkets.
There should be no height limits or where housing can be constructed in Manhattan.
Bedrock has a say in this too.
there is a point of diminishing returns with building height and housing units though
I am glad to see the city moving on from the lost cause of saving the Garment District.
This looks promising and hope to see more new developments sprout up around here! Such a good centralized location in Midtown next to so many subways and transit hubs
So are these 100+ year old buildings going to torn down or turned into loft apartments?
We need to stop erasing our unique history for the wealthy. There are four other boroughs with huge low density areas, and even vacant or single-story properties to redevelop. That’s where we need to concentrate new housing.
What other boroughs have neighborhoods with the amount of convenience and transit options than midtown manhattan.
Yay (affordable) housing
Goodbye to any sunlight to the street and lower floors of buildings
Goodbye to dynamic & historical facades
The big-box suburbanification of Manhattan marches onward…
If you make it all glass it will reflect the SUN
Sunlight fades furniture and causes skin cancer.
What comes first the housing or the retail? Answer, the housing.
transit is great there! would be great for resi
Open space that is spread throughout the area, I think it’s probably a convenience on an informal living or cycling: Thanks.