Midtown South may get around 9,700 new homes under a rezoning plan the City Planning Commission (CPC) approved Wednesday.
Under the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, 42 blocks between West 23rd and 40th Streets and Fifth and Eighth Avenues would be newly designated for housing development, allowing the city to repurpose office spaces. The plan now heads to City Council for a full vote to remove zoning restrictions on housing.
Mayor Eric Adams, whose administration championed the proposal, said in a statement that the plan would get rid of outdated and cumbersome zoning laws.
“Midtown South is home to some of our city’s most iconic parks, buildings, and businesses, yet for too long, outdated zoning has stopped it from actually being a home for many New Yorkers,” Adams said. “With today’s vote, we are one step closer to finally building new housing in Midtown and making it a vibrant neighborhood to live, work, and play in.”
The plan would include up to 2,900 rent-regulated affordable units through Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, a city program requiring developers to include affordable housing in rezoned areas.
Manhattan Councilmember Keith Powers (D-04), who represents part of Midtown South, told amNewYork that the plan will help address New York City’s housing crisis.
“The plan will unlock badly needed housing in Manhattan, as well as improvements to the public realm which will be economic drivers in Midtown,” Powers wrote. “MSMX is a step forward in tackling the housing crisis. It’s time we transform Midtown into a place that New Yorkers can afford to live in.”
“I am glad that the CPC has approved the plan, and I encourage my colleagues in the Council to support it when it comes up for a vote,” Powers added.
Officials said the plan would include density bonuses for developers, allowing them to build more units if they support local improvements such as transit access, public spaces and even spaces for public schools.
Barbara Blair, president of the non-profit Garment District Alliance, told amNewYork that the Midtown plan, also known as MSMX, would support and transform the Garment District, which includes a significant portion of Midtown South.
“The city needs high density housing, and the Garment District needs a lifeline. The MSMX rezoning is the perfect solution to both problems,” Blair wrote. “Allowing more people to live in the neighborhood will enable the district to develop into a robust, mixed-use community, with residents supporting our restaurants and enlivening our streets.”
Adams first unveiled the plan in August 2023 as a way to turn idle office space into housing. In his 2025 State of the City address, Adams included the rezoning proposal as part of his goal of building 100,000 new homes in the next decade, which his administration calls the “Manhattan Plan.”
The rezoning plan is the first time the city is using 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. Adams has pursued other rezoning projects across the city, including in Jamaica and the Bronx, though some conservative lawmakers have tried to stop the projects.
The CPC’s approval comes after months of community input, including meetings, a town hall and public hearings.
CPC chair Dan Garodnick said in a statement that high rates of commercial vacancies inspired the mixed-use plan.
“This plan will bring forth a vibrant mix of commercial, manufacturing, and residential uses, creating a truly dynamic community here,” Garodnick said. “Today’s vote takes us one step closer to the affordable homes, jobs, and infrastructure improvements Midtown South deserves.”
Blair said rezoning Midtown South will bring people to the neighborhood and have a lasting impact on the community.
“Fostering the development of a mixed-use community will allow the Garment District to take its rightful place as an ideal location to live, work, and visit,” Blair wrote. “Our future depends on it.”
