City Announces Study To Make Midtown South Livable

MIDTOWN, NY — Looks like Midtown south might become the next hot new neighborhood in Manhattan.

That's according to a new planning study announced by city officials Thursday, part of a renewed effort to convert empty offices into 20,000 new homes and tackle other obstacles in creating more housing.

The study, called the Midtown South Mixed-Use Study, or MSMX, will examine 42 blocks of the neighborhood currently zoned for manufacturing use between West 40th and West 23rd streets, and between Fifth and Eighth avenues and consider strategies to create more housing and jobs.

Building housing is currently not permitted in these M1 manufacturing zones, defined over 50 years ago. And because these areas are rich with access to transit and economic opportunities, how to do that — through updated zoning, building and converting office space or otherwise — are top of mine for city planners, the city said.

The study was announced alongside plans that the Adams administration would be leaning into converting office space to residencies with new strategies, including an "Office Conversion Accelerator" and zoning overhauls, in an attempt to make the so-far overly difficult conversions possible.

By rewriting zoning rules, the city can turn 163 million square feet of empty office space into housing, Adams said.

Those conversions would potentially be a big part of the MSMX, officials said.

“When life hands you empty offices, you convert them to housing. Creating the housing New Yorkers need by converting underused office space is a no brainer,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión, Jr.

Local elected officials signaled that they were pleased with the announcement of the study.

“It’s absurd that in a city with an acute housing shortage, we’ve had office buildings sitting virtually empty for years,” said Council Member Erik Bottcher. “The fact that New York City has seen virtually no commercial office buildings convert to residential is a result of flawed public policy."

Bottcher also applauded efforts to re-examine the zoning rules in the proposed areas.

"We should strive for live-work neighborhoods that are alive with activity both day and night and provide both housing, commercial, and industrial uses," he said.

Jeffrey LeFrancois, chair of Manhattan Community Board 4, said that "mixed-use neighborhoods are best for the city, and conversion will improve the symbiotic economy of our communities."

"The Garment District is a premier location for residential development in New York City," said Barbara A. Blair, president of the Garment District Alliance. "We applaud Mayor Eric Adams, the Department of City Planning, and our elected officials for addressing the compelling need for housing and we look forward to our work together to position Midtown for the future.”

Public engagement is expected to begin this fall.