New York City Seeks Jolt for Midtown with Plans to Build 10,000 Homes

A new proposal to ease New York City’s housing crisis will make way for nearly 10,000 homes in the Midtown Manhattan area that currently does not allow for new housing, officials hope. but to revitalize an area that represents an economic challenge.

The plan, which city officials introduced at Tuesday’s planning commission meeting, seeks to change the zoning for 42 areas of the neighborhood. That leaves about 9,700 additional units, including 2,900 made affordable to middle- and low-income New Yorkers.

“It’s understandable that in a central area, there’s a housing crisis, but if you want to build a house here, our own rules just won’t allow it,” said Dan Garodnick, head of the Planning Department.

The plan must be approved by the City Council, which is expected to vote on it this year. It is likely to pass because it has the support of two Manhattan councilmen, Keith Powers and Erik Bottcher, who represent the area, which is struggling to recover from the depths of the coronavirus epidemic.

Mr. Bottcher said it “doesn’t make sense that we have a slot in Midtown Manhattan that doesn’t support housing at all.”

But he said while planning discussions continue for the next few months, it’s important to find a balance between new construction, office-to-residential conversions and the needs of existing businesses. in the region, such as the fashion industry.

The Midtown plan is another attempt by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration to deal with a housing shortage that is at its worst in half a century. This shortage helped to raise the cost of living, making the city a symbol of the financial crisis in the United States.

The issue has already become a hot topic in the mayoral race, as Mr. Adams’ opponent tries to outdo himself by promising to bail out the city.

And lawmakers have focused more on lifting development restrictions in recent years. Late last year, the city approved a comprehensive plan – called the City of Yes – to encourage more development across the city. Plans in Midtown could benefit from some of those changes, Mr. Garodnick said, including a measure that makes it easier to convert distressed office buildings into apartments.

Mr. Adams, who has called for 100,000 new homes in Manhattan over the next decade, said in a statement Tuesday that the Midtown proposal is an example of how “the city is building tomorrow’s neighborhoods with 24/7 active, affordable housing, and inclusive public access.”

The proposal would benefit from changes passed by the state Legislature last year that allow for more high-rise development in Manhattan.

The four areas affected by the plan include an area between 35th and 40th Streets south of Bryant Park; between 34th and 41st Streets west of Broadway; and two lines between 23rd and 31st streets on either side of Sixth Avenue. There are already a variety of buildings in these areas, including several high-rises that were built before zoning restrictions were put in place in the mid-20th century.

At Tuesday’s meeting, city officials said the areas are prime locations for more housing because they’re close to more than a dozen subway lines. The area is also “job-rich,” Mr. Garodnick said, with more than 7,000 businesses and 135,000 jobs.

The Midtown plan was also designed to promote commerce in the neighborhood, where the emptiness of commercial buildings and pedestrian traffic created a sense of darkness.

“There is a high level of agreement that the status quo is not working in Midtown South,” Mr. Garodnick said. “The neighborhood needs a boost.”

However, with the potential to reshape popular areas of the city, the plan is likely to be opposed by those who are skeptical of the new development.

“Who will benefit from this?” said John Mudd, president of the Midtown South Community Council. “It’s not going to stop the homeless problem, it’s not going to stop the cost of living problem, it’s not going to bring back people who are artists.”

Even the addition of nearly 10,000 homes will hardly stop the housing shortage in New York, which is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. And, as opponents of the new development often say, it could put more pressure on the city’s infrastructure, including the transportation system.

Mr. Mudd said the redevelopment of the Midtown area is just one of a series of projects that benefit private developers and ignore the needs of everyday New Yorkers. He pointed to other nearby examples, including the development of market-rate housing in public housing and new housing around Penn Station.

“There is a lot to do,” he said.