Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer gave the rezoning of Hudson Square his conditional approval yesterday, though not without extracting some concessions from major landlord Trinity Real Estate, which hopes to erect new residential towers in the area, the New York Observer reported.
Trinity hopes to build new apartments in what has primarily been a commercial area. The agreement reached yesterday would limit those towers’ height to 290 feet, rather than the 320 Trinity had sought. The rezoning affects 20 potential developments, the Observer said.
When Trinity first approached the City Planning Commission in August, some commissioners expressed concern over the fact that a private entity — not the city — was proposing such a drastic zoning change, according to previous reports.
But those concerns seem to have been assuaged — the reduced height restriction as well as the addition of a school to the area have placated at least Stringer, it would seem.
“The proposed modifications will help to align the proposed rezoning with community concerns,” Stringer said in a statement, according to the Observer. “I am pleased that Trinity Church was willing to not only provide a new public school prior to ULURP commencing, but agreed to work to address outstanding issues.”
The proposal still needs to pass muster with the Department of City Planning and with the City Council. [NYO] –Guelda Voien