Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan to Use New Zoning Tools to Create Approximately 9,700 New Homes Across 42 Manhattan Blocks

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For Immediate Release

Oct 31, 2024

Contacts:

Casey Berkovitz, Joe Marvilli – press@planning.nyc.gov (212) 720-3471

Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan to Use New Zoning Tools to Create Approximately 9,700 New Homes Across 42 Manhattan Blocks

Following Lifting of “FAR Cap,” Plan Would Map New Higher Density Districts with FARs of 15 and 18 for the First Time

Plan Prioritizes Mixed-Use Buildings to Bolster Affordable Housing, and Create Job Opportunities in Central Manhattan

NEW YORK – New York Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick today announced the release of an updated draft Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) Plan to facilitate the production of around 9,700 homes, up to 2,800 of them permanently income-restricted affordable, across 42 Manhattan blocks where housing today is not permitted. Revealed at an info session on Wednesday, the plan maps new, high-density residential zoning districts with FARs of 15 and 18, enabled by the recent repeal of the State’s outdated and arbitrary “12 FAR” cap on housing. These changes will help create a more dynamic, 24/7 mixed-use, transit-rich neighborhood with great housing and job opportunities for New Yorkers.

"Last year, we went to Albany and secured New York City's ability to create greater density housing districts where it makes sense, like Midtown South, one of the most transit-rich neighborhoods in the five boroughs,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “I am excited that the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan will apply these new zoning tools to unlock 10,000 units of housing, including up to 2,800 permanently affordable homes, stimulate meaningful investments in the public realm, and accelerate the growth and dynamism of Midtown more broadly."

“The plan announced today is another step in our strategy to deliver more affordable housing to New Yorkers. Ultimately, it is a bold, innovative approach that will help more New Yorkers find their permanent home,” said Deputy Mayor For Health And Human Services Anne Williams-Isom.

“Midtown South is one of the most transit- and job-rich areas of the city, but it’s long been held back by antiquated zoning that has restricted new housing. With action in Albany, we’re moving quickly to put new zoning tools to work to deliver more of the homes that New Yorkers urgently need, while fostering a vibrant mix of commercial, manufacturing, and residential uses. It’s a bold step toward building a more inclusive and dynamic Midtown,” said Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick.

“The Midtown makeover continues,” said Ya-Ting Liu, Chief Public Realm Officer. “More affordable housing near transit and improved public spaces are key ingredients to the city’s success and this administration is doubling down on both.”

“NYC DOT is proud to partner with DCP to support the rezoning of Midtown and create a more pedestrian friendly corridor through the Midtown South Mixed-Use Draft Plan,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “The draft Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan represents a major step toward modernizing housing in our city’s most transit-rich areas, delivering affordable housing, improving mobility, creating opportunities, and strengthening local services. By focusing on neighborhoods near major hubs, we can create lasting benefits for generations of New Yorkers.”

“In 2023, my office released Housing Manhattanites, a plan that took a deep dive into the borough and identified neighborhoods and locations where we could tackle our housing crisis head on. Midtown South, with its underutilized office stock and outdated manufacturing zoning, immediately presented itself as an exceptional opportunity to create housing — especially affordable housing — and bring much needed benefits to this part of Manhattan," said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “This plan today is the result of painstaking work by the City, and is the type of collaboration that we need to emerge from our housing crisis. I'm excited to work with local stakeholders to imagine the future of this area as a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood.”

“Many New Yorkers aren’t aware that there are whole swaths of Midtown Manhattan that don’t permit residential use at all. The idea of all-commercial districts is an outdated concept, because we now know that successful urban neighborhoods are live/work, mixed-use communities that are full of life, day and night,” said New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher. “We have the opportunity to produce thousands of desperately needed, permanently affordable income-restricted homes. I look forward to working with all stakeholders and the broader community to craft a plan that strikes the right balance and delivers for New Yorkers.”

“Midtown South is ripe with opportunity for housing,” said New York City Councilmember Keith Powers. “In a post-pandemic world, it’s a perfect time to allow for office conversions to housing. The prospect of injecting Midtown with nearly 10,000 new homes is exciting and I look forward to the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan moving forward.”

“There is a need for jobs, affordable housing, and accessible transportation citywide. The 42 blocks comprising Midtown South, historically roadblocked by half-century-old zoning rules, are no exception,” said New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores. “The success of the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan would result in addressing these challenges by delivering much-needed housing, creating new open spaces, enhancing infrastructure, and increasing job opportunities. This initiative aims to build not just structures, but also a vibrant sense of community in such a bustling area of the city.”

“In the depths of the housing crisis, we must do everything we can to increase supply,” said New York State Assemblymember Tony Simone. “I am proud to support the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan to maximize affordability. When we build a mixed-use work and live community, we activate the street and make our community safer.”

“The city is taking ambitious action to meet the ever-growing need for more housing and to inject new life into Midtown,” said “New” New York Executive Director B.J. Jones. “We refuse to have business districts confined by outdated restrictions and are sparking an evolution that will draw more residents, workers, and tourists to a world-class neighborhood.”

Located close to great transit at Penn Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Herald Square, and Bryant Park, and minutes from commercial cornerstones like Midtown, the Financial District, and Long Island City, the plan area covers four distinct areas that share outdated industrial zoning – roughly between 23rd and 40th Streets and 5th and 8th Avenues – that are home to over 7,000 businesses and 135,000 jobs. While Midtown South has long been a strong economic hub, it is currently dealing with the challenges of commercial vacancies, changing work patterns, and decades-old zoning that severely limits new housing and opportunities for New Yorkers to live close to their jobs.

To address these challenges, the MSMX plan would map new, high-density, mixed-use zoning districts with residential FARs of 15 and 18 that allow for more housing, along with commercial, and manufacturing uses. These new R11 and R12 districts were made possible by the lifting of the State’s “FAR cap,” which, for decades, had limited the allowable residential square footage in New York City at 12 times the lot area. Earlier this year, the cap was finally lifted after successful advocacy by the City and housing advocates.

With the lifting of the cap, the Adams administration moved swiftly to include new zoning districts with FARs above 12 as a component of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, which is anticipated to be voted on by the City Council before the MSMX plan starts public review. These districts would require Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and be powerful new tools to create urgently needed homes, including permanently income-restricted affordable homes, in high-demand areas like central Manhattan. Midtown South would be the first area where these districts are mapped.

The MSMX plan will establish a new special district that will shape building form to ensure active street fronts and reflect existing loft character for these new, higher densities. To encourage much-needed public realm improvements, it would allow more floor area in buildings as long as they provide critically needed local improvements, such as transit accessibility/facilities, Privately-Owned Public Spaces (POPS), or public indoor spaces like atriums.

The MSMX plan would also pair the new R11 and R12 districts with M1-8A and M1-9A districts, which permit a wide range of non-residential uses, including light manufacturing, office space, and retail. These districts were created through the City of Yes for Economic Opportunity zoning amendment, and this would mark the first time that they have been mapped. With FARs of 12 for M1-8A and 15 for M1-9A, these districts create more opportunities for manufacturing and commercial uses than the existing M1-6 zoning, which limits FAR to 10.

Outside the plan area, the zoning proposal will also remove existing restrictions on housing in some of the midblock areas from West 35th Street to West 39th Street.

“The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan is a transformative step toward addressing New York City’s housing needs and revitalizing our neighborhoods for a vibrant, mixed-use future. By introducing dynamic new zoning districts and prioritizing housing, this plan unlocks opportunities for New Yorkers to live close to their jobs while supporting a mix of commercial opportunities and public realm design enhancements,” said James Mettham, President of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership. “We are proud to support this bold initiative in tandem with the expansive ‘City of Yes’ initiatives, and we look forward to being a collaborative steward of its implementation across Flatiron, NoMad, and the greater Midtown South community.”

“We are thrilled to see the MSMX plan that was presented last night. New York City is in desperate need of additional housing, and allowing more conversions is an obvious and important step toward addressing this critical issue. At the same time, the MSMX zoning changes are a lifeline for the Garment District. It is imperative that we find new uses to occupy our available space, increase our restaurant and retail customer base, and create a safer, 24-hour, mixed-use community. The Garment District’s future depends on it,” said Barbara Blair, President of the Garment District Alliance. “We are grateful to City Planning for crafting this thoughtful plan that will permit residential conversions and live-work spaces, while preserving the character of this storied neighborhood.”

"To address our affordability crisis, we must add housing in every neighborhood. Rezoning Midtown Manhattan to enable more housing can be key to increasing housing supply, and this plan – which quickly takes advantage of the state lifting the FAR Cap earlier this year – will build nearly 9,700 new units of housing, 2,800 of which are permanently affordable, while creating a 24/7, mixed-use neighborhood. This is an important step to advance affordability in New York City, and we applaud the administration and City Council Members Bottcher and Powers for working together on this," said Rachel Fee, Executive Director of the New York Housing Conference.

“Amid a dire housing shortage and an excess of office space, this plan will create more homes and bring life back to the Garment District,” said Open New York Executive Director Annemarie Gray. “Midtown South has the capacity to house tens of thousands of additional New Yorkers, with many in affordable homes, who will support small businesses still struggling from the pandemic and create a more vibrant neighborhood for everyone. Open New York's members are thrilled to participate in this planning process as it moves forward.”

“RPA is pleased to see DCP taking a balanced approach to development that takes into account the history of the area while recognizing the vital role it has to play in the future to address the housing crisis,” said Moses Gates, VP of Housing and Neighborhood Planning at Regional Plan Association (RPA). “We look forward to the new Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, which has the potential to unlock new, high-density residential zoning districts and enable thousands of new homes and income-restricted homes the city and region badly need."

The MSMX plan is the result of a year-long community input process that included 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, town halls, and online tools like an interactive map and survey. During the engagement process, DCP heard strong support for housing in Midtown South, as well as a desire for active and safe streets with local services, and measures to support the strong business and jobs landscape.

DCP will continue to discuss the MSMX plan with the community ahead of and throughout the formal ULURP public review process – expected to begin this winter.

Mayor Eric Adams’ administration is also in the midst of public review for City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, a historic zoning proposal to enable the creation of a "little more housing in every neighborhood. As New York City faces a generational housing crisis with just a 1.4 percent rental vacancy rate, the proposal would allow for the creation of up to 108,850 new homes over the next 15 years.

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.