The New York City Planning Commission has approved the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, a rezoning initiative that will allow the creation of approximately 9,700 new homes across a 42-block section of Midtown, Manhattan. Spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams and the Department of City Planning (DCP), the plan covers an area roughly between West 23rd and West 40th Streets, from Fifth to Eighth Avenues. It introduces new mixed-use zoning where residential development was previously restricted, enabling the construction of up to 2,900 permanently affordable homes through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing.
The Midtown South Mixed-Use rezoning replaces outdated industrial zoning with new high-density residential districts, including the newly created R11 and R12 zones with residential FARs of 15 and 18, respectively. These changes are designed to facilitate residential development, office-to-housing conversions, and the integration of light manufacturing and community facilities.
Notably, the plan also introduces the Special Midtown South Mixed-Use District to guide development that reflects the area’s historic loft character and maintain active street-level uses. Density bonuses and floor area exemptions are included as incentives for public realm enhancements and school space.
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It’s things like this that make Adams so confounding. On the one hand, he pushes through a lot of good (and some not-so-good) land use reforms, but on the other hand he is thoroughly corrupt to the core
I think it’s that more density means more tenants for landlords to get rich off of. Up to a certain point, it is possible for landlords to get richer and tenants to pay less in rent, but that requires more and more tenants and fewer landlords (which in New York requires upzoning). I think Adams is upzoning so that his landlord buddies get more money, and more housing is just an added bonus.
I’m sorry to be curt, but this is a terrible take. We need more housing of every single type, period. If you constrain supply, prices go up; if you increase supply, prices eventually go down. Just look at Jersey City, Austin, etc. It will take a while, but if we don’t do things like this, then prices will only continue to increase.
I suppose this means it’s now easier to demolish historic buildings rather than just convert them to new housing.
“These changes are designed to facilitate residential development, office-to-housing conversions, and the integration of light manufacturing and community facilities.
High rise, mixed use is always the best in Midtown.
Agreed.