Mayor Bill de Blasio’s controversial plan to rezone parts of SoHo and NoHo cleared its latest hurdle Wednesday morning. Members of the city’s Planning Commission voted unanimously in favor of the proposal that had been rejected by the community board in July and later opposed by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
“The plan significantly advances New York City’s equity and inclusivity goals, helps to address our severe and ongoing housing crisis and serves to speed New York City's economic recovery,” said City Planning Commission Chair Anita Laremont explaining her support for the plan.
City officials say the rezoning could pave the way for the construction of as many as 3,500 new apartments, including up to 900 subsidized apartments for low and middle income New Yorkers, through the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing requirement. It’s the last rezoning de Blasio is attempting to push through under his mayoralty. The city planning commission approved the Gowanus rezoning proposal in September, which is also now before the city council for review.
The proposed area the city is pushing to rezone for greater density.
But the SoHo/NoHo plan has generated fervent pushback from groups across the political spectrum. Some of those concerns were expressed by Planning Commissioner Anna Hayes Levin leading up to her vote, though she ultimately decided to approve the plan.
“I worry that we are in fact undermining the integrity of the historic district,” Levin said, adding she hoped the city council would make improvements during its review. “I do think this is a once in a generation opportunity to update the zoning regime that time has passed by and I don’t believe that at this point in our process the significant imperfections that I see should hold things up.”
Affordable housing proponents dubbed the plan “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” arguing it could incentivize developers to demolish existing rent-stabilized housing in the area. Preservationists too have balked at it and are urging the city council to disavow it during their review. An estimate from the Village Preservation estimated the number of rent-regulated units in the targeted area could be as high as 1,000 apartments.
In certain areas along Broadway and Canal, buildings as tall as 27-stories will be permitted.
“It will make these neighborhoods richer and more expensive, and less diverse and less equitable, in spite of the Mayor’s dishonest posturing to the contrary,” said Andrew Berman, Executive Director of Village Preservation. “It’s now up to the City Council to do the right thing and say no to this wrongheaded, destructive plan.”
City officials point to existing protections for residents of rent-regulated units as evidence that those tenants won’t face displacement under the rezoning.
The city council has 50 days to review the rezoning, make any changes to the plan and vote. Outgoing Council Member Margaret Chin, who has expressed reservations about the rezoning, and who will have significant sway over how the council leans on the proposal, didn’t return a request for comment immediately.
