Prospects for Rezoning and New Development in the Fashion District

Rather than viewing the Fashion District in the context of the current zoning, which imposes the restrictions of the Preservation Area within the Special Garment Center District while allowing a more liberal set of uses in the areas farther east, there seems good reason to re-conceptualize the area based on what uses might evolve under a less restrictive zoning scheme. More specifically, the building types and current land uses vary from east to west in the Fashion District, and this presents an interesting opportunity to offer a distinct vision for the western portion of the district - a vision that could help stimulate investment and new economic activity in the Fashion District as well as serve as a complement to the proposals for the redevelopment of the Hudson Yards area.

Map 5
Fashion Center BID Boundaries with Far West Midtown Study Area Boundary

The building types and land uses found within the Fashion District vary considerably across the district. A street level survey by the study team found the area from Fifth to Eighth Avenue to be generally built out to full capacity, with tall buildings (FAR 10 or greater) and no vacant land. In contrast, the western portion of the district in the area between Eighth and Ninth Avenues is populated by many low-rise buildings (FAR 5) and numerous vacant lots (mostly surface parking). The area also has a modest concentration of residential units, and is bordered by ongoing residential development to the west along Ninth Avenue. These unique characteristics suggest that the western portion of the Fashion District has strong potential for new and redeveloped residential use and thus should be considered in a somewhat distinct zoning context from the rest of the district. The area also deserves special consideration as it has been included in the boundaries of the City Planning Department’s Hudson Yards study area.

Built Environment East of Eighth Avenue

Versus

Built Environment West of Eighth Avenue

The study team conducted a street level survey of the buildings on 35th through 40th Streets, Eighth to Ninth Avenues and matched these observations with information available from City Sandborn maps. This analysis revealed a mix of manufacturing, commercial office and institutional buildings.

Map 4
Current Land Use in Fashion District between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

In addition, there exists on these blocks a modest concentration of residential uses, found in some 24 buildings (similar to the ones pictured on the following page), about half of which have commercial uses on the ground floor. There are 405 residential units, occupying approximately 430,000 SF of space.

Examples of Residential Buildings Between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

In addition to the existing residential buildings, the survey revealed several buildings that had strong potential for residential conversion. The conversion candidates are modest in scale, generally between 5 to 8 stories, have a building form suitable for residential use (providing potential units with adequate access to light and air), and are adjacent to compatible uses. Following these conservative criteria generates a list of 20 buildings with approximately 530,000 SF of space, suggesting a potential for 550 to 650 units through residential conversion on these blocks.

Potential Residential Conversions

While there appears to be strong potential for residential conversions, the blocks between 35th and 40th Streets seem to offer even greater potential in terms of new residential development. As the following map depicts, numerous lots with either surface parking or low-rise garages offer several large sites that could accommodate new residential construction. If the existing zoning were expanded to allow residential uses, these sites could yield 585,000 SF of new residential development (approximately 585 housing units) under the current allowable FAR of 5.0. However, with a more generous FAR (which is typical of other mixed use districts in Manhattan), these sites could accommodate perhaps twice as many units of housing.

Map 5
Existing Residential, Residential Conversion and Potential Development Sites

In summary, the segment of the Fashion District between Eighth and Ninth Avenues offers substantial potential for redevelopment and new housing.

Table 4 - Summary of Housing Development Potential

 If allowed under modified zoning regulations, these units could draw thousands of new residents to the Fashion District - enlivening the streets and bolstering local retail demand. This would not only make the Fashion District safer and more desirable for businesses; it would also create a gateway into the mixed-use district being proposed for the Hudson Yard area.

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