Have you ever thought those teensy 400 square foot NYC apartments were just too darn big? If so, you and Mayor Bloomberg have something in common, as yesterday the city launched an initiative to develop a new model of tiny, but affordable, housing.
Matt Chaban reports on the Bloomberg administration's new adAPT NYC initiative, which seeks to, "develop a new housing model for the City's growing small-household population." The initiative will begin with a request for proposals issued to developers for a "micro-apartment" test project on a city-owned site in Manhattan.
On this site, the city is seeking a developer to construct a rental building comprised of at least 75% of units measuring in the range of 275 to 300 square feet (well below what is currently allowed by zoning), in the hopes that the building could serve as a prototype for accommodating the city's changing demographics.
According to Chaban, "The Kips Bay pilot site invites developers to propose other zoning
changes that could make micro-apartments work better, with potential
applications citywide, such as the possibility of moving some amenities
to common spaces or toying with standardized dimensions-while still
maintaining the light and air associated with quality housing."
"Design is also an important part of the pilot. The RFP will be judged
not only on the financials but also the innovation developers bring to
their compact apartment layouts and the appearance of the entire
building."
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