As expected, the City Planning Commission voted today to approve the Hudson Square Rezoning. Local preservationists were adamantly against the plan, but Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer gave his conditional support in November. The rezoning encompasses approximately an 18-block area that sits west of Soho and south of the South Village, and it will allow for increased residential development to encourage a mixed-use 24/7 neighborhood. Trinity Church, which owns 40 percent of the property in the rezoning area, applied for the changes, originally asking for building heights of 320 feet along wide streets and 185 feet along narrow streets. The approved plan calls for slightly shorter buildings, capping the height at 290 feet.
Although the building heights have been reduced, some other desires of the local community board were not incorporated as part of the plan. CB2 recommended that the neighboring South Village be landmarked so as to protect is from any development overflow and economic pressure to build up. Even the city's environmental assessment found that the rezoning could have adverse effects on the un-landmarked South Village, but creating a historic district was not included in the rezoning amendments.
Other changes, which Trinity agreed to, include limited hotel development, creating a new school, and creating more open space. The Hudson Square Connection has already unveiled plans for more pedestrian plazas and revamping the neighborhood's public areas. The rezoning now moves to City Council for a 50-day review process.
· City Planning Approves Hudson Sq. Rezoning [GVSHP]
· Hudson Square Rezoning coverage [Curbed]
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