Non-profit urges further zoning regs, tax breaks to preserve Fashion District character

Save the Fashion District! Is the unlikely clarion call of a new report from urban-planning non-profit the Design Trust, reported Real Estate Weekly.

“The Garment District is that rare thing in this country, a truly mixed-use urban neighborhood with industrial infrastructure at its core,” said Susan Chin, executive director of the group, in the report, entitled Making Midtown: A New Vision for a 21st Century Garment District.

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While some have argued that the Fashion District’s relatively low rents are holding back the area from becoming a more attractive office market, others, including Design Trust, say the city’s precious few manufacturing jobs should be preserved.

The group outlines 17 recommendations for preserving the existing industry in the report, including additional zoning stipulations that favor manufacturing space, tax credits for local designers and improvement to the Fashion District’s public spaces. [REW] –Guelda Voien