Most Pro-Housing Administration in City History: Mayor Adams Celebrates City Council Approval of Administration's Plan to Create Nearly 10,000 New Homes in Midtown South

August 14, 2025

Final Plan Includes 2,800 Permanently Affordable Homes in Central Manhattan Neighborhood, Will Transform 21 Blocks of Broadway Into Pedestrian-Friendly Promenade

Historic Plan Also Invests Over $470 Million in Midtown South, Including Public Realm, Health Care, and Programs to Bolster Garment and Fashion Industries

Along With "City of Yes for Housing Opportunity" and Two Other Neighborhood Plans, Adams Administrations Has Now Successfully Passed Zoning Plans to Create Over 100,000 New Homes

New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today celebrated the New York City Council's approval of the Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) Plan, the third DCP-led neighborhood plan approved under the Adams administration. This bold plan will create nearly 10,000 new homes across 42 blocks of Midtown South, where outdated zoning rules did not previously allow new housing. Additionally, by mapping Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) onto the neighborhood for the first time and requiring new developments to include affordable housing, the final plan ensures that up to 2,800 of the new homes will be permanently-affordable as well. Alongside new housing, the plan also invests in local infrastructure and amenities, including the completion of the transformative Broadway Vision Plan, a 34th Street busway, $13.5 million for a full renovation of McCaffrey Playground, and more. The MSMX plan will also support the garment and fashion industries with a $50 million investment to develop permanent space for the industry and will also launch a new campaign to elevate local designers, manufacturers, and creative entrepreneurs. With this plan's approval, the Adams administration has now reached a milestone of 100,000 new homes through city-led rezonings or text amendments, including Mayor Adams' signature "City of Yes for Housing Opportunity" proposal. In total, the Adams administration has already created, preserved, or planned over 426,000 homes for New Yorkers through its efforts to date.

"Midtown South is home to some of our city's most iconic parks, buildings, and businesses, but for too long, outdated zoning has stopped it from actually being a home for many New Yorkers. Today, we are changing that as we create a more affordable Manhattan where families can live, work, and play," said Mayor Adams. "Between the homes we've already built, our neighborhood plans, and our historic 'City of Yes' initiative, our administration has already created, preserved, or planned over 426,000 new homes for New Yorkers, reinforcing, once again, that we are the most pro-housing administration in city history."

"The passage of the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan affirms that we are the 'City of Yes.' With this plan, an area of Midtown that did not allow housing to be built because of outdated zoning will now unlock the potential for nearly 10,000 units of housing, including close to 3,000 permanently affordable homes, while also creating an inviting and user-friendly public realm," said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion Jr. "This is a direct result of our recently created higher density residential districts and answering the call from New Yorkers for practical policies that make sense for them and their families."

"Manhattan used to be a place where a New Yorker could start their journey or carve out their own path, a possibility that has become far too difficult for most people to achieve over the last couple of decades. With today's approval, we're making that dream a reality again in Midtown South," said DCP Director and CPC Chair Garodnick. "The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan means more homes, more jobs, and more investments in this transit-rich, central hub – a true win-win-win. Thank you to Mayor Adams, Speaker Adams, Chairs Salamanca and Riley, Councilmembers Bottcher and Powers, and the entire City Council for setting this community on the path to a more affordable, prosperous, and vibrant future."

The Adams administration's MSMX Plan will revitalize outdated zoning rules throughout Midtown to create nearly 10,000 new homes, including up to 2,800 permanently affordable units. Credit: DCP.

With this plan's approval, the Adams administration has now reached a milestone of 100,000 new homes unlocked through successful city-led rezonings or text amendments – including 9,500 new homes from MSMX, 7,000 new homes from the Bronx Metro-North Station Area Plan, 4,600 new homes from the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, and 82,000 new homes from Mayor Adams' signature City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative. The Adams administration is also actively advancing neighborhood plans in Jamaica and Long Island City, Queens. Once passed, the Adams administration's rezoning efforts to date are expected to create nearly 130,000 new homes, more new housing than the previous two mayoral administrations' rezoning efforts combined.

Today's approval of MSMX also marks a down payment on the "Manhattan Plan," Mayor Adams' ambitious initiative to create over 100,000 new homes across the borough over the coming decade to bring the total number of homes in Manhattan to 1 million. First announced in his State of the City address earlier this year, the Manhattan Plan utilizes neighborhood rezonings like MSMX, the redevelopment of city-owned sites like 100 Gold Street in Lower Manhattan, and individual applications for zoning changes like the creation of nearly 700 homes above a future Second Avenue Subway station in East Harlem.

In addition to rezoning 42 blocks of Midtown South to unlock new housing, MSMX also invests $470 million in the neighborhood's public realm, public health, and local economy. Credit: DCP.

The MSMX area is made up of four distinct quadrants, centered around Herald and Greeley Squares, located roughly between West 23rd Street and West 40th Street and between 5th Avenue and 8th Avenue. Before today's historic vote, this section of Midtown South was largely saddled with industrial zoning that prohibited new housing and stymied opportunities for growth. While Midtown South has long been a powerful economic center – including being home to over 7,000 businesses, 135,000 jobs, and access to important transit hubs at Penn Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Herald Square, and Bryant Park – the neighborhood has struggled since the COVID-19 pandemic with commercial vacancies and restrictive zoning rules that limit opportunities for New Yorkers to live near their jobs.

The MSMX plan works to address these challenges and bring new housing to the neighborhood. By establishing mixed-use zoning districts that allow housing, industrial enterprises, and commercial businesses all in the same area, the MSMX plan will create approximately 9,500 new homes – including up to 2,900 income-restricted affordable homes via Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, which would apply in Midtown for the first time. The plan also marks the first use of new, high-density R11 and R12 zoning districts, which allow higher residential "floor-to-area ratios" (FAR) of 15 and 18. These new districts were created through a combination of Mayor Adams' City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative and the Adams administration's successful advocacy in Albany to lift the outdated "FAR cap," which had previously arbitrarily limited housing density in New York City. With these new tools, the Adams administration more than doubled the amount of projected housing in the MSMX plan. These changes also allow buildings to convert offices to housing, unlocking another important way to create new homes and repurpose vacant or underutilized space in this neighborhood. By mapping new zoning districts created through "City of Yes for Economic Opportunity" for the first time, MSMX will continue to allow for a wide range of non-residential uses, including light manufacturing, office space, and retail, as well as permit new uses by community facilities like schools and libraries.

The plan also establishes a "density bonus," allowing developments to add more housing if they provide local improvements, such as increased access to public transit stations, privately-owned public spaces, and public indoor spaces like atriums. Buildings can also apply for a floor-area exemption if they set aside space for a public school.

Additionally, since the garment and fashion industries are key parts of Midtown South's economy, the Adams administration is investing $121.9 million in programs and partnerships to boost local small businesses and help them remain part of a dynamic mix of housing and industry in this area. This funding includes $50 million for a Greenlight Innovation Fund that will help nonprofits secure permanent space in the district; $25 million in tax abatements through the New York City Industrial Development Agency to preserve industrial space in the long-term; the Manhattan Commercial Revitalization (M-CORE) program to support transformative renovations of under-performing office buildings with a focus on attracting world-class tenants and building incubator and innovation space; and the launch of Midtown Made, a branding, outreach, and investment campaign to help elevate local designers, manufacturers, and creative entrepreneurs that keep this important part of New York City's economy running. The Landmarks Preservation Commission will also move forward with landmark designations for key buildings in the Garment District, keeping the area's cultural and historical character intact.

Today's announcement also stems from the "'New' New York: Making New York Work for Everyone" action plan – a set of 40 initiatives to reimagine New York City's commercial districts as vibrant 24/7 destinations – transforming business districts into vibrant, resilient, and healthy neighborhoods, and ensure that New York City remains globally competitive in attracting and retaining businesses.

The plan will also transform public space across Midtown South, creating a continuous, green, pedestrian-friendly stretch from West 21st Street to West 42nd Street. To bring this vision to life, the Adams administration is committing $325 million to the Broadway Vision Plan, which will feature pedestrian plazas, shared streets, children's play areas, bike lanes, public seating, artwork, and more. Once complete, the revamped Broadway will become a new promenade through the heart of Midtown for residents, workers, and visitors alike to enjoy. Other public realm investments include a $13.5 million revamp of McCaffrey Playground on West 43rd Street and the completion of improvements at St. Vartan Park, such as additional lighting to allow the park to stay open later. The city will also advance the 34th Street Busway, another pedestrian and public-transit focused measure that will restrict through-traffic for private vehicles between 9th 3rd Avenue and 9th Avenue to decrease congestion and improve speeds for the M34 and M34A buses that serve tens of thousands of commuters every day.

Further, MSMX invests in public education, health, and safety throughout the neighborhood, including upgrades to P.S. 11, P.S. 33, P.S. 340, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, and the High School of Fashion Industries; a new, enclosed EMS Station 7 at 613 West 29th Street; an improved ambulance bay at Bellevue Hospital; and complete funding for the 13th Precinct Mobile Command Unit to address quality-of-life challenges in Midtown South.

Before the City Council's approval, the MSMX plan received favorable recommendations from Manhattan Community Board 5, the Manhattan Borough Board, and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, as well as a positive vote at the CPC.

The plan was crafted through feedback received from over a year of community engagement, which included a kickoff meeting, a town hall, a public information session presenting the draft plan, one-on-one conversations with New Yorkers, and stakeholder events with residents, business owners, local groups, non-profit organizations, and social service providers. DCP also used online tools, including an interactive map and survey, to garner further input on what New Yorkers wanted to see in Midtown South.

"We're tackling New York's housing crisis head-on by unlocking nearly 10,000 new homes in Midtown South – a vibrant, transit-rich neighborhood – helping drive down rents not just here, but across the city," said New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher. "This plan breathes new life into the community with major investments in parks, transportation, and local industries, while making it possible for more families to live, thrive, and put down roots in the heart of our city. I'm grateful to Councilmember Powers, Speaker Adams, Mayor Adams, City Planning Director Garodnick and his team, and all the advocates whose tireless work made this historic achievement possible."

"I have been a champion of the Midtown South rezoning plan, and I am so proud that the Council is passing it today. MSMX is the first major housing-focused rezoning in New York City that takes advantage of the changes that 'City of Yes' put into place, and it makes a big step forward in tackling the affordable housing crisis," said New York City Councilmember Keith Powers. "We are transforming Midtown South into a vibrant live-work neighborhood, alongside historic community investments in schools, transit, parks, and more. I'm proud that Councilmember Bottcher and I were able to usher through this rezoning, and I look forward to the bright future of new housing in Midtown!"

"The approval of the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan is a win for working New Yorkers. By creating affordable housing and revitalizing a neighborhood where so many of HTC's members live and work, this plan helps ensure that the people who make this city run can continue to call it home," said Rich Maroko, president, Hotel and Gaming Trades Council. "We applaud the mayor and the City Council for putting our communities first and taking a critical step toward keeping New York affordable for all."

"The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan builds on principles we've long championed –modernizing antiquated zoning to allow more housing, foster a true mix of uses, and create a stronger public realm," said James Mettham, president, Flatiron NoMad Partnership. "Flatiron NoMad is a real-time example of the vibrancy and resilience that comes from diverse uses, and we're proud to see this vision advanced across Midtown. We applaud the administration, City Council, and local leaders for pairing this rezoning with transformative public realm investments like Broadway Vision, and for making thoughtful refinements to the plan that reflect community priorities, honor the district's unique character, and set the stage for a dynamic future."

"ULI New York is thrilled to see the approval of the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, a bold, forward-looking vision for one of Manhattan's most storied neighborhoods. It blends history with possibility, opening the door to more homes, modern workplaces, thriving local businesses, and unique civic life that stitches this community into the daily fabric of New York City," said Helen Hwang, New York Chair, Urban Land Institute (ULI); senior executive managing director, Meridian Investment Sales. "We applaud this once-in-a-generation opportunity to foster new and lasting opportunity in a 24/7 Midtown South that embraces its own diversity, history, and culture as a truly inclusive urban community."

"We applaud the City Council's boldness in addressing the housing crisis through the approval of nearly 10,000 new homes. This plan puts a dent in the severe shortage that has caused skyrocketing rents, displacement, and homelessness. Even better, the MSMX vote proves that New York is not afraid of the density that has long been our hallmark and superpower – connecting New Yorkers with affordable homes, with low-emission transit, with access to opportunity, and with each other," said Ryder Kessler, co-founder, Abundance New York.

"The City Council's passage of the Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) Plan ends a decades-old ban on new housing in parts of Midtown Manhattan – a policy that had driven up rents, reduced foot traffic for local businesses, and lengthened commutes for working New Yorkers," said Annemarie Gray, executive director, Open New York. "Thanks to the City's passage of City of Yes for Housing Opportunity and the State's lifting of the 12 FAR cap, MSMX will enable the creation of nearly 10,000 homes in the heart of Manhattan. Thank you to the administration and the Council, especially Council Members Erik Bottcher and Keith Powers."