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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline JUNE 27, 2025 | The Indian Eye 18

NYC Mayor Celebrate’s Approval of

Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan to Create

Nearly 10,000 New Homes

Plan Would Bring Nearly 3,000 Permanently Affordable Homes to Midtown South Neighborhood

OUR BUREAU

NEW YORK, NY
ew York City Mayor Eric Adams and New
York City Department of City Planning
N(DCP) Director and City Planning Com-
mission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today cel-
ebrated the CPC’s vote in favor of the Midtown
South Mixed-Use (MSMX) Plan, an ambitious
proposal to bring approximately 9,700 new homes
across 42 blocks of Midtown South where housing
is largely not allowed today. By mapping Manda-
tory Inclusionary Housing onto the neighborhood
for the first time, and requiring new developments
to include affordable housing, MSMX ensures that
up to 2,900 of those units will be permanently af-
fordable as well. New housing in the neighborhood
will be paired with public realm improvements and
additional investments to create a more vibrant,
24/7 neighborhood with affordable housing, good
jobs, and accessible open space. MSMX is a key
component of Mayor Adams’ “Manhattan Plan” to
create over 100,000 new homes across the borough Mayor Adams’ MSMX plan will create nearly 10,000 new homes across four distinct areas in Midtown South,
over the coming decade to bring the total number including 2,900 affordable units. Credit: DCP.
of homes in Manhattan to 1 million. First unveiled
in his State of the City address earlier this year, the for meaningful housing production in a transit-rich with commercial vacancies and restrictive zoning
Manhattan Plan utilizes neighborhood rezonings section of the city, including almost 3,000 afford- rules that limit opportunities for New Yorkers to
like MSMX, the redevelopment of city-owned sites able units, and help write a new chapter for the fu- live near their jobs.
like 100 Gold Street in Lower Manhattan, and indi- ture of midtown as a dynamic, mixed-use district.” The MSMX plan works to address these chal-
vidual applications for zoning changes like the cre- “With commercial vacancies too high and lenges and bring new housing to the neighborhood.
ation of nearly 700 homes above a future Second housing vacancies at historically low levels, it’s a By establishing mixed-use zoning districts that al-
Avenue Subway station in East Harlem. perfect time to seize this opportunity to create a low housing, industrial enterprises, and commer-
“Midtown South is home to some of our city’s 24/7, mixed-use neighborhood. This plan will bring cial businesses all in the same area, the MSMX plan
most iconic parks, buildings, and businesses, yet for forth a vibrant mix of commercial, manufacturing, could create around 9,700 new homes — including
too long, outdated zoning has stopped it from actu- and residential uses, creating a truly dynamic com- up to 2,900 income-restricted affordable homes
ally being a home for many New Yorkers. With to- munity here,” said DCP Director and CPC Chair via Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, which would
day’s vote, we are one step closer to finally building Garodnick. “Today’s vote takes us one step closer apply to Midtown for the first time. The plan also
new housing in Midtown and making it a vibrant to the affordable homes, jobs, and infrastructure marks the first use of new, high-density R11 and
neighborhood to live, work, and play in,” said May- improvements Midtown South deserves. Thanks to R12 zoning districts, which allow higher residential
or Adams. “Our Midtown South Mixed-Use plan the City Planning commissioners for their support.” “floor-to-area ratios” (FAR) of 15 and 18. These
will not only bring nearly 10,000 new homes to the The MSMX plan covers four distinct areas new districts were created through a combination
neighborhood, but it will bring us closer to our vi- centered around Herald and Greeley Squares lo- of Mayor Adams’ “City of Yes for Housing Oppor-
sion of 100,000 new homes across all of Manhattan cated roughly between West 23rd and West 40th tunity” initiative and the Adams administration’s
over the next decade and help make sure that New Streets as well as 5th and 8th Avenues. This part of successful advocacy in Albany to lift the outdated
York City is the best place to raise a family.” Midtown South is largely saddled with outdated in- FAR cap, which had previously arbitrarily limited
“The City of New York is in a housing crisis, dustrial zoning that prohibits new housing, severe- housing density in New York City. With these new
and to overcome that crisis and make New York ly limiting opportunities for future growth. While tools, the Adams administration was able to more
more affordable we need to build a little more Midtown South has long been a powerful eco- than double the amount of projected housing with
housing in each neighborhood, including Midtown nomic center — including over 7,000 businesses, the MSMX neighborhood rezoning. These chang-
South,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Econom- 135,000 jobs, and access to important transit hubs es would also allow buildings to convert offices to
ic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion, Jr. at Penn Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, housing, unlocking another important way to cre-
“That’s what the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan Herald Square, and Bryant Park — the neighbor- ate new homes and repurpose vacant or underuti-
does — it provides updated zoning that will allow hood has struggled since the COVID-19 pandemic lized space in this area.

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