One of New York City’s busiest areas may soon become even busier under a rezoning plan the City Council is slated to approve Thursday to make way for thousands of new homes.
The Midtown South Mixed-Use plan calls for the addition of roughly 10,000 housing units to the core Manhattan neighborhood over some 42 blocks between West 23rd and 40th streets and Fifth and Eighth avenues. Almost 3,000 of those units would be considered affordable, according to city officials, who say the changes would make it easier for people to live in the neighborhood.
“Manhattan used to be the place where a young adult or a new New Yorker could start their journey,” City Planning Director Dan Garodnick told reporters Tuesday. “With this plan, we’re making that dream a reality again in Midtown South.”
The rezoning deal also features about $450 million in community benefits and infrastructure improvements, including more than $120 million in economic development funds for Garment District businesses, according to the City Council.
Plans for a new busway on 34th Street that would restrict passenger vehicle traffic were also added to the proposal, and are aimed at speeding up MTA buses that often travel around just 3 mph during peak periods. And more car-free space is slated for Broadway between 22nd and 25th streets under the rezoning, in addition to pedestrian and cycling improvements along the famed corridor.
Mayor Eric Adams has championed the rezoning as one of several actions his administration has taken to increase housing and economic activity across the city as residents face a severe housing crunch. In a statement earlier this month on the plan, he said it would create a “more dynamic Midtown South where New Yorkers of all income levels can live, work and play” in the transit-rich neighborhood.
“It also represents a down payment on our vision of 100,000 new homes across all of Manhattan over the next decade,” Adams said, referring to his administration’s “Manhattan Plan” for which the city is currently soliciting public comments.
Ahead of the Council’s vote, Adams was scheduled to speak in support of the rezoning Thursday afternoon alongside Councilmembers Keith Powers and Erik Bottcher of Manhattan, whose districts will be affected. The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission voted earlier this week to landmark five architecturally and historically significant buildings in Midtown with the plan pending.
David Brand contributed reporting.
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