The New York City Council has approved the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, a rezoning initiative led by the Adams administration and the Department of City Planning that will allow for the creation of nearly 10,000 new homes across 42 blocks of Midtown, Manhattan. The plan introduces residential zoning to an area previously limited to commercial and industrial uses and includes up to 2,800 permanently affordable homes through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing requirements. Alongside new housing, the plan directs $470 million in investments to support infrastructure, public space, health services, and the garment and fashion industries.
The rezoning area stretches roughly between West 23rd and West 40th Streets, from Fifth to Eighth Avenues, centered on Herald and Greeley Squares. The new zoning will permit mixed-use development, combining housing, commercial businesses, and light manufacturing. It also makes use of newly established R11 and R12 high-density districts, enabled by recent state action lifting the city’s residential floor area ratio cap. Office-to-residential conversions will also be permitted. Public realm improvements include the $325 million Broadway Vision Plan, which will transform 21 blocks of Broadway into a continuous pedestrian promenade, as well as a full renovation of McCaffrey Playground and the advancement of the 34th Street Busway.
Rendering of Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, via midtownsouthplan.nyc
More than $120 million under the project is allocated to bolster the garment and fashion industries through permanent space initiatives, tax incentives, and business support programs. The city will also fund upgrades to local schools, health facilities, and public safety infrastructure, including enhancements to P.S. 11, Bellevue Hospital, and the 13th Precinct. The Landmarks Preservation Commission is expected to designate key buildings in the Garment District to maintain the area’s historic fabric.
“This plan breathes new life into the community with major investments in parks, transportation, and local industries, while making it possible for more families to live, thrive, and put down roots in the heart of our city,” said New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher. “I’m grateful to Councilmember Powers, Speaker Adams, Mayor Adams, City Planning Director Garodnick and his team, and all the advocates whose tireless work made this historic achievement possible.”
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Additional firehouses will be needed to deal with all of these new homes. The FDNY and its members are an integral part of public safety here in NYC.