SoHo Rezoning Plan To Begin Public Review: 30-Day Notice Given

SOHO, NY — The city announced on Friday that it expects to begin the public review process in May of the SoHo rezoning plan and that it has given a 30-day notice to local community boards about the planned start date on the next phase of the controversial neighborhood plan.

The public review process is a necessary step in the certification of the rezoning plan to move forward.

The SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan is expected to begin public review in May. Today, the 30-day notice for this proposal was sent to the local Community Boards. Learn more at our Zoning Application Portal: https://t.co/rzxCdB6PiB
— NYCPlanning (@NYCPlanning) April 2, 2021

In October, Mayor Bill de Blasio unexpectedly announced the start of the SoHo rezoning plan, which the administration says would allow for as many as 3,200 new homes to be built in the historically business and arts-centric community, including around 800 affordable housing units.

The rezoning project would cover an area bounded by Canal Street to the south, Houston Street and Astor Place to the north, Lafayette Street and the Bowery to the east, and Sixth Avenue and West Broadway to the west.

The Department of City planning also has a section on its website explaining why the specific Lower Manhattan neighborhood was chosen to rezone.

However, many local residents and organizations strongly oppose the rezoning plan, stating that it would actually let more real estate developers into the neighborhood and decrease the availability of affordable units in SoHo.

"Whether it’s the proposed mega-jail in Chinatown or this upzoning plan that will actually make the neighborhood wealthier and less diverse, de Blasio is again showing why decisions that will impact the future of the entire city should be left to the next mayor," said Andrew Berman, the executive director of Village Preservation. "Instead of this plan, which includes massive handouts for the mayor’s real estate buddies, we encourage the city to consider the community’s alternative plan that will protect affordable housing in the neighborhood.”

• Village Organization Presents Alternative Rezoning Plan For SoHo

You can find out more information about the SoHo rezoning plan, the required steps left for the plan to become reality, and all the available public documents relating to the plan on the Zoning Application Portal from the Department of City Planning.