Midtown Manhattan Rezoning Proposal Could Yield Almost 10,000 Housing Units

New York City’s City of Yes zoning reform initiative is taking a step forward with a proposal for Midtown Manhattan that would, according to city officials, make way for nearly 10,000 new housing units.

According to a New York Times article by Mihir Zaveri, the proposal would rezone 42 blocks to allow for residential construction and adaptive reuse in an area struggling to recover after the pandemic. The two councilmembers representing the neighborhood favor the plan. “The four areas affected by the plan include swaths between 35th and 40th Streets south of Bryant Park; between 34th and 41st Streets west of Broadway; and two chunks between 23rd and 31st Streets on either side of Sixth Avenue. There are already a variety of buildings in these zones, including several high-rises that were built before zoning restrictions were put in place in the mid-20th century.”

Zaveri notes that “The Midtown plan is also designed to boost retail in the neighborhood, where vacancies in commercial buildings and less foot traffic have contributed to a feeling of gloom.”