Data Distillery: Garment District Development Under the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan, Mapped

According to the MSMX DEIS, by 2035, the rezoning could produce up to 11 million square feet of primarily new residential development, the density equivalent of four Empire State Buildings. About 9,000 new dwelling units are expected across up to 68 sites, including 781 from office to residential conversions, with up to 2,890 housing units being permanently affordable under the City’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program. Sixty-three of the sites are projected development sites because due to factors such as lot size, they are more likely to be redeveloped than the five potential development sites. MSMX is expected to produce just under one million square feet of new commercial development, including big box retailers and Class A office space. By removing zoning that restricts retail business size to 10,000 square feet, MSMX would support the area’s role as a regional shopping destination.

The Garment District contains 12 projected and 3 potential development sites. Fifteen properties on these sites are listed on the State and National Registry of Historic Places (S/NR). Socioeconomically, the rezoning could potentially directly displace 114 garment-related private-sector businesses employing over 450 workers in the Garment District. However, according to the DEIS, because the displaced businesses and lost jobs do not represent a substantial proportion of the businesses or employment for any given sector within a ½-mile study area, and there are alternative sources for their goods and services within the study area, it was not considered a significant socioeconomic impact.