In Long-Awaited SoHo & NoHo Planning Study, City Calls For Affordable Housing And Expanding Retail

A city planning report that attracted suspicion from many SoHo and NoHo residents has finally been released, boasting a list of recommendations that include the promotion of affordable housing in the notoriously pricey neighborhoods and the legalization of more ground floor retail. The 85-page study, which was commissioned by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council Member Margaret Chin, and the Department of City Planning, is expected to form the basis of the first comprehensive rezoning of SoHo and NoHo in decades. Originally set to be released by the end of the summer, the plan has been anxiously anticipated by a wide range of interests, from residents and loft artists to commercial property owners and housing advocates. As part of the process, city officials organized five public meetings around the future of the two neighborhoods beginning in February. Read more at Gothamist.