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Things might look very different in midtown Manhattan soon: city planners just launched a proposal to rezone a 42-block area near Penn Station, where they hope to build 10,000 new apartments as one way to tackle the city's housing crisis.
Part of Mayor Eric Adams' "Manhattan Plan," the Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) proposal involves the creation of a 24/7 mixed-use neighborhood that includes new public sites as well, roughly. If set into motion and completed, the project would completely change this specific portion of midtown Manhattan—roughly, between West 23rd Street and West 40th Streets between 5th and 8th Avenues—an area still reeling from the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, including commercial vacancies and restrictive zoning rules.
"In New York City, the old saying is still true: if you build it, they will come," said Adams in an official statement. "In midtown South, we are building the neighborhoods of tomorrow with vibrant 24/7 space, affordable housing, and inclusive, dynamic public realm opportunities."
According to reports, the plan daws inspiration from the Financial District, which, according to the New York Post, "turned into a booming residential area after 9/11 with tax incentives." That bing said, that specific redevelopment didn't include affordable housing, "leaving low income renters locked out."
Whether, when and how, exactly, the plan will be brought to completion is yet to be seen, but we're sure the genetic makeup of the city will be completely altered by it, from who can even afford to live here to how New Yorkers interact with midtown Manhattan. Who knows? The area may soon become a top-traveled-to destination to experience the best things to do in NYC.