Manhattan Borough Prez Doesn't Support Initial SoHo Rezoning Plan

SOHO, NY — Shortly after Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer held a five-hour public hearing recently about the SoHo/NoHo rezoning plan, she released a statement saying she couldn't fully support the proposal in its current form.

"There are too many challenges with this rezoning for me to support it outright," Brewer said in a release on Thursday. "While the City's need for affordable housing is massive and all neighborhoods should contribute to helping increase it, we can do a better job than this proposal."

Specifically, Brewer mentioned the following points that she wants to see the rezoning plan adhere to:

• The need to preserve the historic district in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood.
• Give subsidies to developers who stay within proper building guidelines.
• Don't incentivize more commercial development in SoHo/NoHo.
• 2 Howard Street should be 100 percent affordable housing.
• Protect loft law tenants.

“I stand ready to continue to work with the Planning Commission, the Council, and to engage the community and stakeholders in efforts to improve this proposal," Brewer said in the news release.

The City Planning Commission held its sole public hearing on the controversial SoHo/NoHo upzoning plan on Thursday.

Speakers were allowed three minutes of either virtual or in-person testimony, and also were allowed to submit 500 words of written testimony — around 100 people testified in total.

The City Planning Commission now has 60 days to vote, if they approve the controversial plan, it would then go to the City Council.