Under New York’s City of Yes initiative, broad zoning changes allow for denser housing development and more flexible uses. The Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan (MSMX) nests within City of Yes with the specific goal of making Midtown South a 24/7 mixed-use neighborhood by increasing Floor-to-Area Ratio (FAR) allowances when building residential developments in areas previously zoned as manufacturing. As a result of the changes, property owners with lots in the MSMX zone have a new incentive to develop high-density housing that would previously have been non-compliant with the city’s zoning resolution.

The Garment District Alliance asked BFJ Planning determine which lots are most likely to consider redevelopment and illustrate what the changes to the neighborhood’s skyline would be if this redevelopment were to occur.

BFJ surveyed the neighborhood to identify soft sites that were most likely to take advantage of the new zoning regulations and created a 3D massing model based on the newly permissible FARs and building heights in residential development to demonstrate the possible changes to density, skyline, and light access in the neighborhood.