Busy block near Grand Central Terminal will transform into a pedestrian plaza

The first tangible outcomes of the Midtown East rezoning are beginning to take shape; the body overseeing the development of Midtown East post-rezoning, voted to approve a new public plaza at Pershing Square East between East 41st and 42nd Streets.

The East Midtown Public Realm Improvement Fund Governing Group, as this body is officially known, also funded security features on the planned shared street on East 43rd Street between Lexington and Third Avenues.

“When riders and commuters at Grand Central get off the trains each morning, they’ll walk into wide open plazas with room to breathe,” said Alicia Glen, the deputy mayor for housing and economic development, who is also a part of the 13-member Governing Group.

Both these projects will be managed by the city’s Department of Transportation, which plans to hold public meetings in the coming months to get more feedback about these pedestrian improvements. Any new development will take into account the needs of the existing property and business owners along this area, ADA accessibility, and pick-up and drop-offs for vehicles, among other concerns.

“East Midtown will be more welcoming and will have more to offer New Yorkers, commuters, and visitors because of the work we’ve all done together,” said Gale Brewer, the Manhattan Borough President, and also a member of the Governing Group, which comprises of various elected officials and representatives from city agencies.

• City Council approves Midtown East rezoning, paving way for new era of office development [Curbed]
• With Midtown East rezoning, East 43rd Street will get a major reprogramming [Curbed]