GARMENT DISTRICT REZONING PLAN APPROVED DESPITE OPPOSITION FROM CFDA AND OTHERS

Yesterday, on June 18, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Historic Districts Council, New York Fashion Workforce Coalition, United Scenic Artists Local USA 829 IATSE, and garment district workers rallied in opposition to Mayor Adams’ rezoning proposal.

“New York remains a global fashion capital, and the Garment District plays a vital role in that ecosystem. Yesterday’s gathering reinforced the importance of supporting local manufacturing. The CFDA has invested over $6 million through our Fashion Manufacturing Initiative, and we look to the City to reaffirm its support for this essential part of the industry,” said Steven Kolb, CEO & President, CFDA

Despite the opposition’s detailed requests to modify the plan, the City Planning Commission and City Council approved the redistricting plan as submitted.

Joe Rose, the former chair of the commission, said the following in a statement, “The City Planning Commission and City Council should listen to the public and revise this plan. There is no need to choose among jobs, housing, or protecting our city’s architectural heritage: with thoughtful planning, we can have it all.”

A group of 150 rallied at noon EST in the heart of the garment district, pleading with the commission to adjust the proposal to lower the Residential Floor Area Ratio, protect landmark structures, provide incentives for adaptive reuse, and provide strategies to retain existing manufacturing and light industrial jobs in the district.

Despite these requests, the commission approved the current Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan. The plan, as intended, aims to create 9,700 new homes, 2,700 of which will be permanently affordable, across 42 blocks of lower mid-town, from W 23rd to W 40th (see map), between 5th and 8^th avenues. The plan introduces mixed-use zoning that had previously been restricted. The plan would also increase the FAR to accommodate higher density in the district as well as facilitate office-to-housing conversion.