The City Council Committee on Land Use approved a massive rezoning plan to build over 9,500 homes in Midtown South on Wednesday, clearing the way for a full Council vote amid increasing public support.
The Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) plan would redesignate 42 blocks between West 23rd and 40th Streets and Fifth and Eighth Avenues for housing development, allowing the city to repurpose office spaces. The final plan also included approval for a car-free busway on 34th Street, a proposal that had recently stalled, and a $122 million fund to support Garment District businesses.
Manhattan Councilmember Erik Bottcher, who represents part of Midtown South, said the plan will help address the city’s housing crisis while protecting the community.
“We’re tackling New York’s housing crisis head-on by unlocking over 9,500 new homes in one of the most transit-rich, high-opportunity areas of the city — helping to bring down rents not just in Midtown, but citywide,” Bottcher said in a statement. “At the same time, we’re protecting good-paying jobs, preserving the heart of our fashion industry, and reimagining Midtown South as a place where more families can live, thrive, and build lasting community.”
The plan would include over 2,800 rent-regulated affordable units through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, a city program requiring developers to include affordable housing in rezoned areas.
Logan Phares, the political director of housing group Open New York, said the MSMX plan is key to responding to New York City’s housing crisis.
“This plan is a major step toward a more affordable Manhattan — helping to lower rents, keeping New Yorkers close to jobs and transit, and bringing more customers to local businesses,” Phares said in a statement.
The City Council plan included slightly fewer homes than the original proposal to protect some Garment District manufacturing facilities, small businesses and workers, alongside the $122 million fund. The deal also will provide $340 million to street upgrades, parks, subway stations and local healthcare services.
A spokesperson for the Protect the Garment District coalition — a group that had opposed the MSMX plan as recently as last week, alleging it would destroy small businesses — praised the final proposal, thanking Bottcher and Councilmember Keith Powers, who also represents part of Midtown South, for their support.
“We are ecstatic that critical manufacturing space in the Garment District has been protected and that New York City’s government has made renewed commitments to the future development of the garment industry,” the spokesperson wrote to amNewYork. “These spaces are and will continue to serve as essential resources for the fashion and entertainment industries, as well as for the garment workers that are the lifeblood of the district.”
The deal also included surprise approval for a 34th Street busway, modeled after the 14th Street program that limited cars to reduce traffic and improve public transit. The plan — which has the support of Bottcher, Powers and a coalition of elected officials — had stalled in recent weeks.
“With a dedicated, car-free 34th Street busway, and fully pedestrianized Broadway, this plan prioritizes safe, sustainable, and accessible ways to get around — making Midtown a model for people-first design,” said Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, a pedestrian and public transit advocacy group.
Powers said the community investments were part of the plan’s commitment to improving the neighborhood.
“We are transforming Midtown South into a vibrant live-work neighborhood, alongside historic community investments in schools, transit, parks, and more,” Powers said in a statement. “I look forward to the full Council approving this rezoning and bringing housing to Midtown.”
The rezoning plan was the first time the city used the Adams administration’s new “City of Yes” land-use initiative, which City Council approved last December to allow high-density districts with larger residential buildings in a bid to respond to the city’s housing crisis.
Mayor Eric Adams has been touting his housing record in his bid for reelection amid growing political concern over the city’s affordability crisis.
“With today’s vote, we’re taking another step forward in helping to create a more dynamic Midtown South where New Yorkers of all income levels can live, work, and play,” Adams said in a statement. “Not only will this plan deliver thousands of new homes for this central neighborhood, but it also represents a down payment on our vision of 100,000 new homes across all of Manhattan over the next decade.”
The plan looks likely to pass City Council in a full vote; it has the support of Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who said the plan is a necessary part of the Council’s mission to address New York’s affordable housing crisis.
“To confront the citywide housing and affordability crisis, our city must build more homes and invest in housing solutions that allow generations of New Yorkers to remain in this city,” Speaker Adams said in a statement. “The Council is proud to advance the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan that will deliver more new homes than any residential rezoning in 20 years, while investing to preserve and support our city’s Garment District industries and invest in the needs of the surrounding communities.”
