Loading....
The Administration's plan to upzone Soho/Noho, which includes parts of the East Village, is an assault on one of Manhattan's best loved communities. If not stopped, it will forever change the neighborhood's character, create a "midtown" of huge towers in an historic area, and rob residents, businesses and visitors of light and air.
Aerial photo of Soho, Noho, and the East Village by David Oppenheimer.
Action alert: a Mayoral initiative to upzone Soho/Noho would imperil not only a large slice of downtown Manhattan - including part of the East Village - but ultimately historic districts citywide.
This unprecedented plan would allow supersized buildings and big box stores where they have not been allowed before. It would promote new luxury condominiums, up to 2-1/2 times the size allowed by current zoning, with a small fraction of the space going to units deemed “affordable” but actually out of reach to most middle- and low-income New Yorkers.
Upzoning would destroy historic streetscapes, push out small businesses, and make neighborhoods both less affordable and less neighborly. It could turn SoHo/NoHo into a version of Midtown.
And if this upzoning is approved in these neighborhoods - which for decades have been protected from overdevelopment by both zoning and historic district designation - it could readily be approved throughout the city. It would endanger our beloved historic districts throughout the five boroughs.
Instead, we ask that you consider supporting the Community Alternative Zoning Plan for SoHo/NoHo, issued this month, which calls for an increase in affordable housing in the neighborhood without increasing building size or allowing for big box retail.
Please send a letter in opposition to upzoning to your local officials by using the pre-drafted letter at the "Take Action" link on this page, or change the wording of the letter to suit yourself.
And please share it widely among your friends and social networks.
This is important. Thank you in advance for taking action.
Send a Message to the Mayor and the City Council
Thank You