Midtown South rezoning debate: housing targets and Garment District preservation clash at council hearing

The New York City Planning Department presented the Midtown South Mixed Use Plan (MSMX) at a public hearing before the Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. DCP described two proposed land‑use actions: a zoning map amendment to replace legacy M16 manufacturing districts across 42 blocks with new paired mixed‑use districts (including newly created high‑density residential districts R11/R12), and a zoning text amendment to create the Midtown South special district and to map Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) across the special district.

DCP and agency presentation

Department of City Planning directorate staff told the subcommittee the plan would unlock up to roughly 9,700 new homes across the plan area and could generate up to about 2,900 permanently income‑restricted homes through the application of MIH. Eric Botsford (DCP Manhattan office) and colleagues said MSMX is intended to permit housing in portions of Midtown that historically have been zoned for manufacturing only, to shape building form with new urban‑design rules, and to create incentives for transit and public‑realm improvements.

Primary elements in the DCP proposal

- Map changes: replace M16 manufacturing zoning with mixed‑use commercial/manufacturing/residential districts, calibrated by quadrant to reflect existing built density. Northern quadrants would allow higher densities around Penn Station; southern quadrants would be mapped at more moderate densities, DCP said. - New residential districts: the plan would map the new R11/R12 residential districts created through the City of Yes housing legislation (removal of the prior 12 FAR cap) to permit higher residential FAR in designated locations. - Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH): MIH would be mapped citywide within the special district. DCP presented three MIH options; DCP said applying MIH in Midtown South could produce up to ~2,900 income‑restricted…