Silverstein zoning in on zoning change for West Side tower

Larry Silverstein wants to pack lucrative residential space into his recently revealed 106-story West Side tower, but he’ll need the city to change the zoning rules in order to do so.

Current zoning only allows for about half of the residential space Silverstein wants to include at 520 West 41st Street, Crain’s reported. The building is located within the Hudson Yard Special District, where rules stipulate that buildings should primarily provide commercial space.

Silverstein is arguing that this particular plot has more in common with the residential blocks just north in Hell’s Kitchen, in part because the Lincoln Tunnel outbound approach cuts it off from the rest of Hudson Yards, according to a Silverstein Development document cited by Crain’s.

The company also points to the glut of high-density buildings in the area, arguing that 520 West 41st will be difficult to fully develop without including more residential units, Crain’s reported.

If the plan goes through, the building would set a record for the most number of floors and and units in a New York City building, as New York YIMBY previously noted. [Crain’s] — Tom DiChristopher