City Planning Commission approves Hudson Square rezoning proposal

The City Planning Commission voted today to approve a proposal to rezone Hudson Square to allow for a more mixed-use neighborhood with larger buildings. The proposal now heads to City Council, which will have 50 days to conduct a public hearing and vote on whether the rezoning will take effect.

As previously reported, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer gave his conditional support for the rezoning in November with concessions from landlord Trinity Real Estate, which initially proposed the rezoning.

Trinity aims to build new apartments in the area that, in the past, was primarily commercial. Before Stringer limited the towers’ height to 290 feet, the goal was 320 feet. Trinity first approached City Planning late this summer.

In a statement, Andrew Berman, the executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, called on City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to either reject the rezoning or approve it in conjunction with the creation of a nearby historic district, known as the South Village Historic District. Berman has expressed concerns that increased development in Hudson Square would threaten the character of the low-rise South Village.

“[Quinn] will determine if this beloved, endangered New York neighborhood receives the protections it needs, or if its ongoing destruction will be accelerated by an enormous rezoning on its doorstep,” Berman said.

A spokesperson for the City Council said that Quinn would take a public position on the rezoning at the conclusion of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process.

“As with all ULURP applications that come before the Council, Speaker Quinn looks forward to reviewing the proposal and to working to ensure that an open dialogue with all interested parties is maintained,” the spokesperson said. —Zachary Kussin