NYC Planning Commission OKs Adams’s Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan
By Mark Hallum June 18, 2025 2:59 pm
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The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan is on its way to the next stage of approval after the New York City Planning Commission gave it the green light.
The city agency led by Dan Garodnick approved the plan, which could clear the way for 9,700 new housing units across 42 blocks of Midtown South through a rezoning that allows for taller residential buildings in the area. The plan has been updated since the latest version was submitted in October 2024.
The neighborhood plan aims to lift the allowable floor area ratio (FAR) — a calculation of the amount of floor space that can be built vertically in relation to the size of the lot on which the building stands — from 12 FAR to either 15 or 18.
Up to 2,900 of the 9,700 units must be deemed affordable under Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, which requires that developers of any project over 10 units must set aside 20 to 30 percent of those homes for low-income New Yorkers.
“With commercial vacancies too high and housing vacancies at historically low levels, it’s a perfect time to seize this opportunity to create a 24/7, mixed-use neighborhood. This plan will bring forth a vibrant mix of commercial, manufacturing and residential uses, creating a truly dynamic community here,” Garodnick said in a statement.
The original draft of the plan was introduced by Garodnick, under the direction of Mayor Eric Adams, in March 2024 with the original aim of creating 4,000 new homes in the target area. That has since been expanded to the current figure.
The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan is expected to supplement the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, a series of zoning reforms that were formally adopted by the New York City Council in December 2024 and is similar to the citywide approach to zoning that is projected to create 80,000 new housing units over 15 years.
The Adams administration may be facing a deadline to get the new plan through the finish line in the City Council, as Adams faces intense political opposition in his bid for re-election. Adams dropped out of this month’s Democratic primary and is running as an independent in the November election.
Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.
