East Midtown Rezoning

East Midtown Rezoning
Name	East Midtown Rezoning
Caption	Aerial view of Midtown Manhattan
Location	Midtown Manhattan, New York City
Initiated	2016
Status	Ongoing
Planners	New York City Department of City Planning; New York City Economic Development Corporation
Key players	Mayor's Office of New York City; Landmarks Preservation Commission; Metropolitan Transportation Authority

East Midtown Rezoning is a major urban planning initiative in Midtown Manhattan that aimed to update land use, encourage office modernization, and support transit investment around Grand Central Terminal, United Nations Headquarters, and Bryant Park. The proposal sought to balance preservation of historic skyscrapers with incentives for new development near Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue, and the East River. The plan involved coordination among municipal agencies, private developers, and transit authorities to align zoning with infrastructure projects like the Second Avenue Subway and station master plan for Grand Central–42nd Street (IRT).

Background and context

The rezoning emerged from earlier planning efforts including the Special Midtown District designations and studies driven by the New York City Department of City Planning and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. It responded to market shifts affecting landmarked towers such as Chrysler Building, Bowman-Biltmore Building, and office blocks near Times Square and Herald Square. Influences included precedents like the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project, the Battery Park City Authority master plan, and recommendations from the Regional Plan Association. Key policy drivers ranged from tax incentives like the 421-a (New York City tax exemption) debates to federal bureaucracies including the General Services Administration which had previously influenced Midtown real estate patterns.

Proposal and planning process

The proposal process combined zoning text amendments, environmental review under the SEQRA-analogous procedures used by municipal agencies, and public hearings before the New York City Council and Landmarks Preservation Commission. The project built on design studies by consultants and stakeholders including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Kohn Pedersen Fox, and engineering firms that previously worked on One Vanderbilt and renewal projects near Penn Station. Public engagement involved community boards such as Manhattan Community Board 5 and Manhattan Community Board 6, as well as civic groups like the Municipal Arts Society and preservationists such as the Historic Districts Council.

Key components and zoning changes

Major components included modified floor-area-ratio (FAR) rules, transfer-of-development-rights (TDR) mechanisms, and special permit procedures for air-rights transfers often involving landmarked properties including Grand Central Terminal and buildings designed by Cass Gilbert and Ralph Walker. The plan proposed contextual zoning along corridors like Lexington Avenue, adjustments to tower-envelope rules seen in Zoning Resolution of New York City amendments, and incentives for resiliency measures similar to projects near South Street Seaport. Financial tools referenced funding models used in Javits Center expansions and tax increment financing examples from the Willets Point Redevelopment.

Stakeholders and public response

Stakeholders spanned elected officials such as former mayors and borough presidents including Bill de Blasio and Gale Brewer, institutional landlords such as Vornado Realty Trust and SL Green Realty, tenants including corporations with offices like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, and labor groups including the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. Advocacy and preservation organizations, including the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Preservation League of New York State, and neighborhood associations, voiced concerns alongside transit advocates like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and civic groups such as The Real Estate Board of New York. Public hearings featured testimony from architects connected to César Pelli-designed towers and developers behind projects like One Vanderbilt.

Implementation, timeline, and financing

Implementation relied on coordinated approvals by the New York City Council, environmental certifications analogous to CEQR processes, and public-private financing structures reminiscent of arrangements used for Hudson Yards and the Second Avenue Subway construction. Timelines were influenced by landmark review under the Landmarks Preservation Commission and procurement cycles for infrastructure work managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Funding sources discussed included municipal bonds, developer-paid mitigation funds, incentive zoning mechanisms, and potential federal aid drawing on precedents involving the Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration.

Impacts and controversies

Critics cited potential effects on neighborhood scale and housing affordability, drawing parallels to controversies around Hudson Yards, the Penn Station redevelopment, and debates over 421-a (New York City tax exemption). Preservationists warned about transfers of air rights affecting structures by firms like McKim, Mead & White and architects linked to the Beaux-Arts movement. Proponents argued for job creation akin to employment gains from Battery Park City and transit-oriented development benefits similar to the Second Avenue Subway extension. Legal and policy disputes involved stakeholders including the New York State Assembly, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in environmental permitting contexts, and lawsuits invoking jurisprudence from cases heard in the New York State Supreme Court.

Category:Urban planning in New York City Category:Midtown Manhattan