Community District
Find the planning projects in your community district.
Manhattan CD04 Projects
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Manhattan Community District 04
330 West 42nd Street, Suite 2618
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 212.736.4536
Fax: 212.947.9512
Email: info@manhattancb4.org
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New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers Statement
Access to the Region’s Core Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Access to the Region's Core (ARC)
With no new rail tracks added across the Hudson River since the existing Penn Station rail tunnels were completed in 1910, many New Jersey commuters, Governor Jon Corzine, and New York Senator Charles Schumer are championing a proposal to add a new Trans-Hudson rail tunnel.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has said that it is willing to commit $2 billion to build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River to provide increased connectivity between midtown Manhattan and New Jersey. Current plans call for a $6 billion tunnel connecting the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis rail lines directly into Penn Station, doubling capacity across the Hudson, removing the current transfer at Secaucus and decreasing commuter times by nearly 25%. Advocates highlight the construction job opportunities and increased city revenue from the project but some are concerned about another train line terminating at Penn Station, and they caution for a more comprehensive plan to link the termination of the new line with New York City’s future transportation needs. Officials hope to begin preliminary engineering work soon, and to begin major construction by 2009.
Recent headlines
Access to the Region’s Core Receives Funding Boost
July 11, 2008
New York Daily News
New Tunnels Under the Hudson 100 Years After the First Tunnels Were Completed
April 6, 2008
New York Times
Push for Hudson Rail Link to Extend to East Side
March 25, 2008
The Star-Ledger
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Columbus Circle
With the recent completion of the Time Warner Center, renovations to the monument and circle itself, and restoration of the 2 Columbus Circle building, the Columbus Circle area of midtown Manhattan is quickly growing into its own small neighborhood. The area, which runs between 54th Street and 63rd Street and between Broadway and West End Avenue, is seeing significant growth in luxury condominium and apartment development, with at least three major developments currently under construction. In October 2006, consumer electronics retailer Best Buy signed a 15-year-lease on 46,000 square feet just north of the Circle.
Recent headlines
Critique of the New Museum of Arts and Design Building: Two Buildings in One
August 18, 2008
Other
Building Design for 2 Columbus Circle Emerges to the Public
May 1, 2008
New York Times
Lost Opportunities at Columbus Circle?
March 30, 2007
New York Sun
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General Theological Seminary Tower (Chelsea)
In early 2006 the General Theological Seminary in Chelsea announced plans to demolish four-story modernist Sherrill Hall. Built in 1961 to house the seminary’s library, the architecturally insignificant Hall is in danger of water damage as a result of the building’s poor construction and deteriorated condition and the school hopes that a new building will generate funds to renovate and restore the cloister of Gothic Revival buildings that make up most of the campus. The Seminary partnered with the Brodsky Organization, a real-estate-development firm, and Polshek Partnership, and came up with a 17-story, glass-sheathed tower perched on a four-story base that follows the lines and form of the other seminary buildings nearby. The proposed building would have housed 80 residential units while and the seminary’s library, administrative offices and bookstore will occupy the lower floors.
In response to community criticisms about size and scale of the proposed building and the possibility that allowing GTS to bypass the historic-district rules that took effect in the neighborhood more than 30 years ago, as well as a local zoning regulation that limits new buildings to a height to 750 feet will set a precedent, the Seminary revised the plan. The 15-story height of the tower is reduced from the original 17 stories and new plans also call for using more masonry and less glass than originally proposed. The proposed structure would rise on Ninth Avenue between West 20th and West 21st streets. At 151 feet, it would be shorter than several nearby buildings outside the historic district, but still be more than twice the imposed height restrictions in the district. A city zoning resolution can grant exemptions when doing so brings in money to preserve historic properties and the plan is appropriate for a historic district. The revision also includes plans for a smaller building on the Seminary grounds facing 20th Street near the corner of Tenth Avenue. The GTS also pledged to devote approximately 50,000 square feet of unused development rights to the creation of affordable housing in Chelsea. The Brodsky Organization, a real estate developer, has agreed to pay the seminary $39 million — a deal contingent on the project's approval — to develop the property.
Opponents insist that the new design remains out of context, isn't much of an improvement on the original, and would set a dangerous precedent for building towers in a historic district. In April, 2007 the Seminary bowed to intense community opposition and promised present a "compromise plan" that would involve a scaled-back redevelopment scheme that would cut the proposed tower height half, leaving a seven-story mixed-use residential building on Ninth Avenue, and a five-story administration building on 20th Street. Seminary officials say the new plan will not be able to finance the extensive renovation needed across the historic campus.
Recent headlines
$21 Million in Preservation Costs Challenge Chelsea Seminary
April 6, 2007
The Villager
A Victory for Preservation? Blocking Seminary Tower in Chelsea
April 3, 2007
New York Sun
A Seminary's Attempt to Build a Tower: Point to its Record
February 18, 2007
New York Times
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High Line Redevelopment + Whitney Museum
In 1999 Joshua David and Robert Hammond organized the Friends of the High Line to lobby against its impending demolition. The former railway was eventually donated by CSX to the city for use as parkland. The first phase of High Line construction is scheduled to be completed by 2008. The structure, built by the New York Central Railroad to raise railroad freight tracks above street level, consists of a steel frame enclosing a concrete lining 18 feet to 30 feet above street level. Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro are designing the High Line Park, and Piet Oudolf, a horticulturist from Holland who designed the plantings at Battery Park, is directing the plantings that will resemble the wild flowers and grasses that have been wind sewn on the High Line since is closure in 1980. The elevated park will eventually extend 1.5 miles up to W. 33rd St. Construction on the northern segment between 20th and 33rd Sts. is planned to begin when the southern half of the High Line is complete. Currently, $84 million in public funds — $62 million from the city and $22 million from federal sources — has been appropriated for the entire project. The private sector has brought the total funding to $130 million. The most complex features and access points will be in the southern half of the project, with a two-level entrance at Gansevoort St., where the Whitney Museum of American Art is planning its new museum building. Stairs and elevators at street level and at the High Line level will provide access to both the museum and the park. Other major access points will be at 14th St. and at 16th St. at 10th Ave. At least 27 luxury condos and hotels are in some stage of development along the High Line. Some buildings (which will be designed by famed architects including Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Renzo Piano and Annabelle Selldorf) will have private access points into the park and three will actually have the High Line tucked inside the buildings.
On October 22, 2006 the Whitney Museum of American Art reached a conditional agreement with the Economic Development Corporation to buy the city-owned site at Gansevoort St. The Whitney has retained famed architect Renzo Piano to design the new museum which is to be at least twice the size of the Whitney’s home on Madison Avenue and to be finished by 2012. The High Line site will have about 100,000 to 150,000 square feet of gallery space. The conditional agreement must still go through the public review process. This announcement ends a decade’s long battle with Upper East Side preservationists over plans for the Whitney’s expansion at its current location.
Recent headlines
West Chelsea Booms in Anticipation of High Line Opening
August 25, 2008
NY1
CPC Approves Whitney Museum Expansion
August 12, 2008
ArtInfo
Whitney Museum Sells Area Townhouses for Expansion Plan
August 1, 2008
Crain's New York Business
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Urban Development Alternatives for the Hudson Rail Yards (PDF)
Hudson Railyards
The Hudson Railyards site is a 26-acre site that runs from 30th to 33rd Streets between 10th and 12th Avenues. It is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and located within the recently rezoned Hudson Yards area. After plans to build a new Jets Stadium on the site failed, the city began negotiating with the MTA. In September of 2006, the MTA agreed to work with the city to develop the rail yards. The City Council approved the agreement in October of 2006.
On July 13, 2007, Governor Eliot Spitzer issued Requests for Proposals (RFP) for the Hudson Railyards. For development purposes, the site was split into two separate sites – the East Rail Yards (ERY) and the West Rail Yards (WRY), each about equal in size (approximately 13 acres) – and a separate RFP was issued for each site. The ERY site was included in the Hudson Yards rezoning, which was adopted in January 2005, and is currently zoned for large-scale commercial development. The WRY site remains zoned manufacturing and would need to be rezoned before development could begin. Together the two RFPs allow developers to work with 12 million square feet of new residential and office space (check this).
On October 11, 2007, the MTA received five proposals for the site from large development companies including Tishman Speyer, Extell Development Co., Brookfield Properties Developer, The Related Companies, and a joint effort by The Durst Organization and Vornado Realty Trust. The proposals were put on public display in Grand Central Station from November 19 until December 3 and a forum to receive public comments was held on December 10. On March 26, 2008 the MTA announced that it had awarded the bid to Tishman Speyer who offered $1.004 billion for the 99-year lease of the site. Since that announcement, the MTA and Tishman have been negotiating the final terms of the deal. Recent reports of complications in these negotiations have raised some doubts about the future development of the site.
For news and information about developments in the larger Special Hudson Yards District created by zoning map change (040499(A) ZMM) and the zoning text amendment (040500(A) ZRM), please see our related Hudson Yards Rezoning & Development project.
Recent headlines
Hudson Yards Developer, Related, Adds Jets President to Staff
June 18, 2008
Crain's New York Business
Critique of Hudson Yards Plans Laments Nature of the Real Estate Deal
June 2, 2008
Bloomberg.com
MTA Board Approves Hudson Yards Deal
May 22, 2008
The Real Deal
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Hudson River Park Ruling-NY State Dept. of Conservancy
Hudson River Park
Plans call for the partially completed Hudson River Park to run for five miles along Manhattan’s Hudson River front, from Battery Place to West 59th Street. When completed, the park will encompass 550 acres, including 13 old maritime piers that are being converted into public parks. Of the park’s six segments, two have been completed, one is currently under construction, and the remaining three are in development stages. Over $350 million in public money has gone into the park, of which approximately one third each came from the state and city, with the remaining third coming from a variety of sources.
The development of the park has been marked with controversy, especially from within the environmental community, some of whom joined the Hudson River Park Alliance to support most of the park planning and others of whom remained critical of the project. The latter group has been particularly critical of the plan to support the maintenance of the park with funds from commercial developments within the park itself, arguing that a simpler park could be maintained entirely through public funds. Critics also decried the adverse environmental effects of the park, especially on the native fish habitat. The park’s supporters maintain that allowing certain piers to decay naturally will protect those fish, and that utilizing funds earned in the park is the only way in which to maintain a park of this magnitude.
Plans for Pier 40, located just off Houston Street, have also been at the center of controversy. Pier 40 is one of the City's largest recreational facilities heavily used by the local community and youth sport’s leagues especially. The Hudson River Park Trust issued an RFP in August 2006. Initially there were two proposals being considered: Camp Group's "The People's Pier", including educational space, a part-time day camp, and boutique retail and Related's "Pier 40 Performing Arts Center," involving Cirque du Soleil, a multiplex cinema, and rooftop recreation. Neither proposal has received full support from the community or local officials even after modifications. While many are eager to see much needed renovations and improvements, some community residents express fear of increased costs and overcrowding possibly resulting from these proposals. Concerns have also arisen about the financial feasibility of “The People’s Pier” and the need for both proposals to extend the 30-year lease mandated by the Hudson River Park Trust.
In January 2008, a late entry proposal was made by the Pier 40 Partnership, a community-based parent’s group, for the pier to be revitalized with new artist space, a public high school and continued use of protected sports fields, the bike path, and other recreational space. This plan has been endorsed by the Pier 40 Working Group and Community Board 2’s Waterfront Committee; making it a valid contender for the redevelopment of the Pier. A meeting of the Hudson River Park Trust is expected at the end of January 2008 to reach a consensus and move forward so as not to delay or set back the project any further.
Recent headlines
Riverside Park Almost Complete
August 20, 2008
Other
New Plans for Pier 40 Presented to Community Board
July 23, 2008
The Villager
New Park on Tribeca Waterfront
July 23, 2008
New York Times
Quick Links
Citizen's guide to the EIS (PDF file)
Hell's Kitchen Neighborhood Association plan
Citizen's Union Hudson Yards Proposal Summary
City Planning's Overview of Hudson Yards
Financing Hudson Yards (NYC Bar Association)
The Slatin Report - "The Next New York"
MTA Capital Construction Plan for No. 7 Extension
Renderings of Bid Proposals (NYTimes)
Hudson Yards Development Corporation
Hudson Yards Infrastructure Corporation - Underwriting Press Release
Hudson Yards Rezoning & Development
The Hudson Yards area is the area is bounded by West 28th Street on the south, 7th and 8th Avenues on the east, West 43rd Street on the north and 11th Avenue on the west side. The area is predominantly characterized by industrial space and transportation infrastructure, but also encompasses the part of the largely residential Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. The Department of City Planning (DCP) began the public review process involved with rezoning the site in June of 2004 in conjunction with plans to build a new west side stadium there to host the Jets and potentially the 2012 Olympics. According to DCP, the rezoning plan was designed to take advantage of the area’s adjacency to midtown to develop a dynamic, transit-oriented urban center, permitting medium- to high-density mixed-use developments. To this end, DCP’s zoning change proposal for the Hudson Yards area includes rezoning much of the manufacturing districts in the area to commercial and mixed use. It also creates a “Special Hudson Yards District,” which sets regulations for ground-floor retail, sidewalk widths, uses, density, bulk and mass for development in the area. Densities within the district are regulated to create a “bowl” shape, with contextual medium-density residential and commercial along 9th Avenue surrounded by higher density districts comparable to midtown densities. On January 19, 2005, after completion of the mandatory public review process dictated by the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP), City Council adopted the zoning changes (referred to as zoning map change (040499(A) ZMM) and the zoning text amendment (040500(A) ZRM).
In December 2006, the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) adopted amendments to its Uniform Tax Exemption Policy that would offer generous tax breaks to Far West Side commercial developers and enable the city to use payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOTs) from businesses who located within the Special Hudson Yards District to pay back $2 billion in bonds that were issued to help finance the extension of the No. 7 subway line and other improvements to the Hudson Yards area.
Since the rezoning and tax breaks were adopted, several developers have made land acquisitions within the Special Hudson Yards District, including Extell Development which has planned a 600,000 square foot mixed use tower just east of the Hudson Railyards site. Brookfield Properties also has several projects, totaling almost 5 million square feet, planned for the area. The City has also been making acquisitions, some by use of eminent domain, to make way for a proposed mid-block tree-lined boulevard and park between 10th and 11th avenues.
On February 11, 2008, a follow-up zoning text amendment, proposed by DCP was referred to the Manhattan Borough President and Manhattan Community Board 4 for a 60-day review period after which a public hearing on the proposal will be held. The follow-up amendments address issues around bulk requirements, subway entrance locations, transit floor area and administration of bonus provisions that have been raised since the adoption of the original rezoning in 2005.
For news and information specific to the Hudson Railyards site development, please see our related Hudson Railyards project.
Recent headlines
Concerns that the Hudson Mews Deal Will Fall Through
July 14, 2008
WNYC
Hudson Yards Bonds Still Considered Secure Despite Project Setbacks
May 19, 2008
Other
Collapse of Hudson Yards Deal Would Leave City in Debt
May 9, 2008
Reuters US Edition
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Javits Convention Center Expansion
At present, the Javits Center ranks as the 18th largest convention center in North America. The Convention Center is not large enough to host the 60 largest annual shows and the space it does have, is completely booked.
During the summer of 2006, New York State officials approved $1.7 billion for the expansion of the Javits Convention Center. Tourism is at an all-time high since 9/11, and many believe that with a larger convention center, more meetings and conventions will come to New York City, increasing hotel and tourism revenues for the city.
The current expansion plan calls for extending the center two blocks north, to 40th Street, and adding a new floor for a ballroom that would double as meeting and exhibit space. The Spitzer administration has argued against the Pataki-era plans saying that while the current expansion plan has a hefty $1.8 billion price tag, it provides too little new exhibition and meeting space to attract more trade shows and conventions to the city. Trade show managers and executives from the New York International Automobile Show also have expressed criticism of the vertical nature of the expansion project, which they say would increase the cost of shows in New York and undercut the city’s ability to compete with other locations.
Spitzer has argued for a larger expansion – adding up to 350,0000 square feet of additional exhibition and meeting room space — by demolishing the Quill bus garage at 41st Street and 11th Avenue and building underground meeting rooms on the convention center’s truck marshalling yard, on the south side of the Javits Center. Plans to demolish the Quill garage at 11th Avenue and 41st Street to enable a more horizontal expansion of the Javits Center have yet to be approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — owner of the site.
Spitzer has also questioned the city’s plan for the truck marshalling yard at the south end of Javits to a new multistory garage that would be built between 39th and 40th Streets. Proponents say the garage would get trucks off the streets and permit security screening, while the old marshaling yard could be sold for as much as $400 million for residential and commercial towers. Spitzer is now proposing to use the block between 33rd and 34th Streets, along 11th Avenue, for meeting room space and possibly security screening. The state would offset the cost by selling the development rights over the parcel to developers for high-rise buildings.
The Bloomberg administration fears that Spitzer’s new plans would add 6 years to the planned construction and an additional $1 billion to the budget.
On January 18th, 2007, after deliberations, the State's initial plans were significantly scaled back. While a major renovation of the outdated center is still in the works, an expansion for additional meeting space of only 100,000 square feet has been decided upon in order to stay within budget. Previously, an expansion of 350,000-500,000 square feet was recommended in order to stay competitive. Plans to build a convention hotel, truck garage and truck security screening facility on the block between 38th and 39th Streets and 11th and 12th Avenues are also on the table as part of the expansion.
Surprisingly, Spitzer and the State also plan to sell off the land on the block between 39th and 40th Streets and 11th and 12th Avenues, currently owned by the Javits Center, in order to make revenue of over $800 million for other economic development projects in the area. These development projects include the Number 7 subway line extension and the expansion of Hudson River Park. Selling off this property could limit any future outward expansion of the convention center due to lack of available space, disappointing many in the convention industry.
Recent headlines
Governor Admits Money Shortage for Some Projects
May 14, 2008
Reuters US Edition
Redevelopment Plans for West Side in Jeopardy
April 14, 2008
New York Times
Paterson to Move Forward with Javits Center Renovation
April 3, 2008
New York Observer
Quick Links
Rebirth of a Gateway: Moynihan Station (PDF)
Friends of Moynihan Station website
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Regional Plan Association Report
Moynihan Station
The new Penn Station, also called Moynihan Station, is a proposed renovation and overhaul of the current Farley Post Office at 8th Avenue and 33rd Street. The original proposal, made in 1993, called for the façade of the post office to be maintained, while the internal structure would be completely redesigned. That proposal was rejected in 2006 by the Public Authorities Control Board, at the urging of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. However, under the Spitzer administration, the current chairman of the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC), Patrick Foye, revived the discussions and formed “Plan B”.
This new plan, a joint effort between the city and State, Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, as well as developers Related Companies and Vornado Realty Trust, calls for a much larger project than originally envisioned. The current proposal calls for Madison Square Garden to be moved to the west end of Farley; the current Pennsylvania Station to be renovated and opened to light; and the superblock between Seventh and Eighth avenues and 31st and 33rd streets, to be turned into two to four office towers containing about five million square feet of office space. With their purchase of the adjacent Hotel Pennsylvania and Manhattan Mall, Vornado hopes to transform this large swath of midtown with thousands of square feet of class A office space.
Supporters of this new project include a wide range of interest groups. Many groups see the plan as a type of redemption for allowing the demolition of the old, and architecturally distinguished, Penn Station. Transportation groups are supportive of it because the plan will create a more efficient Penn Station with more capacity for Amtrak, NJ Transit, and the LIRR. Developers are supportive of the plan because they see the project as the key to opening the far west side of Manhattan to commercial development. In addition, the project is viewed as an important link between the potential developments of the Hudson Yards to the rest of Manhattan’s business district.
On February 2, 2007, ESDC signed a memorandum of understanding that extended the state’s option to purchase the Farley Building from the U.S. Postal Service. On March 30, 2007 the purchase was approved with the Port Authority paying $140 million of the $230 million purchase price. The remainder of the cost will come from private developers (The Related Cos. and Vornado) and a loan. Ultimately, the Public Authorities Control Board must still approve plans to turn the post office into Moynihan Station.
The ESDC formally initiated the public review process on October 23, 2007 when it released a draft scope of work for the project. Since that time questions have been raised about the financing for the plan. Originally, the cost of renovating the current Penn Station, located under the current Garden, was estimated to cost about $1 billion. The figure has now ballooned to $2.2 billion with another $1 billion required to expand the station into the Farley building. While $1.15 billion of that funding has been committed by the city, State, and private developers, there is still a major funding shortfall. Project supporters hope that the federal government will provide funding and that the private developers will commit additional funding, though it is not clear whether either will happen. The entire $14 billion project is also facing a weakening credit market and rising construction costs, which may make it difficult to finance such a large project. While Gov. Spitzer has remained publicly supportive of the project, Garden officials have not. In fact, it is believed that Garden officials are working on plans to renovate the current Garden because the plans for Moynihan station have dragged on so long. Without the Garden’s support, the viability of the entire project will be threatened.
Recent headlines
MSG Moves Forward with Renovations; Hires Construction Firm
July 24, 2008
Crain's New York Business
City May Support Port Authority Takeover of Moynihan Station Project
June 12, 2008
Crain's New York Business
Vornado Announces “Plan B” for MSG
June 3, 2008
Reuters US Edition
New Madison Square Garden
When New York City rezoned the West side of Manhattan in 2005, the area along Eighth Avenue where Madison Square Garden is currently located was rezoned to allow up to 5 million square feet of office space. This prompted the owners of the Garden to explore the possibility of relocating MSG into the rebuilt Farley Post Office across the street. If that happens, a portion of the Garden’s current site can be redeveloped for commercial use and the new Moynihan Station, a grand rail station on top of the existing Penn Station, can be built on the rest of the site.
Plans for a new Garden, however, are tied directly to the fate of the Moynihan Station project. Moynihan Station is a $14 billion project that includes the construction of a grand new building on top of the current Penn Station, as well as locating the new MSG, expanded rail facilities, and retail facilities in the Farley Post Office Building. In late 2007, the State released the draft scope for an environmental impact statement for the Moynihan Station project. However, officials at the Garden are believed to be working on plans to renovate the existing facility. Some speculate that is because the progress on completion of the entire Moynihan Station project has been slow, while others believe it is simply a bargaining move by the Garden’s owners. For their part, Garden officials have been requesting design changes to the Farley building that they claim are necessary to the success of MSG in a new location. If the current Garden is renovated and not moved into the Farley building, it is likely that completion of Moynihan Station will not be possible.
Recent headlines
MSG Moves Forward with Renovations; Hires Construction Firm
July 24, 2008
Crain's New York Business
Vornado Announces “Plan B” for MSG
June 3, 2008
Reuters US Edition
Schumer Reiterates Call for Focusing on Moynihan Station Before Hudson Yards
May 19, 2008
New York Post
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No. 7 Line Extension
As part of the proposal to redevelop the Hudson Yards area of Midtown West, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has proposed construction and operation of an extension of the No. 7 line to serve the Hudson Yards area. On October 5, 2006, New York City and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed on a $2.1 billion expansion for the No. 7 train as part of the development of the MTA's rail yards on the West Side of Manhattan. The 1.5-mile extension of the No. 7 line will take the subway further west from its current finish point at Times Square and continue it along 41st Street and 11th Avenue, and then south to a new terminal at 34th Street and 11th Avenue.
Supporters of the No. 7 line extension argue that Midtown West is lagging economically because of the lack of mass transportation. They also argue that the Javits convention center expansion will not succeed without it. Opponents point to existing rail infrastructure that could be redeveloped at a lower cost, allowing the MTA to invest in the Second Avenue Subway and East River Access projects instead.
Recent headlines
Construction on Tunnel for 7-train Extention Begins
June 11, 2008
NY1
Hudson Yards Bonds Still Considered Secure Despite Project Setbacks
May 19, 2008
Other
Mayor Disagrees with Schumer's Plans for West Side
May 12, 2008
Reuters UK Edition
The Caledonia (Chelsea)
The Related Companies have started construction on “the Caledonia” — a 24-story, glass-and-brick structure abutting the future High Line park at 450 West 17th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues. The building will include a lobby waterfall and 478 units with bamboo floors, as well as a meditation garden, sun deck, pet spa, children’s playroom, Equinox gym and spa, library and indoor parking. However, unlike most luxury buildings, twenty percent of the units will be set aside as permanent affordable rental housing pursuant to New York City’s 80/20 tax-incentive program and the Inclusionary Housing Program. The Caledonia is the first such development in the West Chelsea District to opt into the Inclusionary Housing Program.
By allowing developers to combine the 80/20 tax-incentives and the Inclusionary Zoning programs, the city hopes to take advantage of the housing market and spur the creation of permanent affordable housing. Proponents point to the fact that the affordable housing components will last forever, unlike other developments where affordable housing is limited to a number of years.
Recently, however, opponents to the existing plan on Community Board 4 have charged the Related Companies with potential violations of Inclusionary Zoning laws in its Caledonia plan. On Nov. 1, 2006, C.B. 4’s full board approved a letter by the board’s Affordable Housing Task Force asking the HPD to examine whether the developer is creating segregated conditions rather than the integrated housing that both programs require by confining all 59 of its 80/20 units to the first eight floors of the building.
Recent headlines
Condo in West Chelsea Raises Affordable Housing Questions
November 17, 2006
The Villager