The Council’s Land Use Committee approved the proposal after the developer agreed to provide permanently affordable on-site housing. On December 14, 2009, the City Council’s Land Use Committee modified and approved Goldman Sachs and Related Companies’ proposal to develop the Western Rail Yard site on the far west side of Midtown, Manhattan. The thirteen-acre site is bounded by West 33rd Street to the north, West 30th Street to the south, Eleventh Avenue to the east, and Twelfth Avenue to the west. The High Line runs along the site’s southern and western edges, but it is not part of the proposed project.

The approved plan will convert the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s open rail storage yard into a 5.7 million sq.ft. development that would include eight mixed-use towers, containing roughly 4,600 – 5,700 dwelling units, 5.4 acres of open space, and a new public school. The proposal included setting aside twenty percent of the project’s rental units as affordable housing. Related submitted applications to rezone the site from an M2-3 to a C6-4 district, obtain special permits to build two parking garages with a maximum of 1,600 combined spaces, and to extend the Special Hudson Yards District to include the site. (read more…)

Modification allows residential building to be sited at the corner of West 30th Street and Eleventh Avenue. On March 4, 2009, the City Planning Commission approved RG ERY LLC’s proposal to amend the site planning and parking regulations within Hudson Yards’ Eastern Rail Yard, also known as Subarea A1. The affected area, located within the Special Hudson Yards District, is bounded by West 33rd Street to the north, West 30th Street to the south, Tenth Avenue to the east, and Eleventh Avenue to the west.

RG, a joint venture of Related Companies and Goldman Sachs, was selected by the MTA in May 2008 to develop Subarea A1. RG submitted the application in order to facilitate construction of its proposed design, which includes hotel, residential, and ground-floor retail use at the corner of Eleventh Avenue and West 33rd Street; commercial office, residential, and retail space along Tenth Avenue; a community facility building along West 30th Street; and a residential building with groundfloor retail near the corner of Eleventh Avenue and West 30th Street. The design also allows for a maximum of 1,000 on-site accessory parking spaces, with a maximum of 350 spaces for commercial and community facility use. (read more…)

Amendments to Special Clinton District refine theater bonus zoning text. In 2005, the City Council approved several applications submitted by the Department of City Planning intended to revitalize the Far West Side of Manhattan. Among the approved actions was the establishment of the Special Hudson Yards District and the creation of a floor area bonus for theater use applicable to “Theater Row” in the Special Clinton District. 2 CityLand 4 (Feb. 15, 2005). In November 2007, City Planning submitted an application containing text changes to the Special Hudson Yards District that also included modifications to the theater bonus in the Special Clinton District. In response to concerns raised during the public review process, the proposed theater bonus amendments were separated from the application and were set aside for further review. In October 2008, City Planning filed a new application that included the previously proposed theater bonus amendments as well as several new amendments also relating to the theater bonus.

The theater bonus applies to a one and a half block area bounded by West 42nd Street, West 41st Street, Dyer Avenue, and Eleventh Avenue. The original theater bonus text explained that residential developments that included floor area for “legitimate” theater space could utilize the theater bonus to add 3.0 FAR to the maximum base 10.0 FAR found in the C6-4 district. City Planning’s amendments clarify that for every three square feet of theater bonus floor area, one square foot of such area must be used for new performance space. The amendments also expand the types of theater (non-profit performing arts) and uses (rehearsal space) that may generate the bonus. (read more…)

Follow-Up Corrective Action (FUCA) approved 17 modifications to Hudson Yards revitalization plan. In January 2005, after extended negotiations, the City Council approved ten land use actions related to the revitalization of Manhattan’s Hudson Yards. 2 CityLand 4 (Feb. 15, 2005). Public review of the proposed text amendment identified the need for certain modifications. On August 4, 2005, the Planning Department, Council Member Christine Quinn, and Manhattan Community Board 4 applied jointly to incorporate the modifications into the Hudson Yards plan. The Follow-Up Corrective Action, or FUCA, identified 18 modifications related to affordable housing, development controls, clarifications, and corrections. On December 21, 2005, the City Council approved 17 of 18 revisions to the text. The approved corrective actions: (read more…)

Changes will increase the protection and affordability of low-income housing and lower the commercial square footage. The Council approved all ten Hudson Yards land use actions after extended negotiations with the Bloomberg Administration on modifications to the rezoning text as well as the financing mechanism. The Council’s modifications were aimed primarily at lowering the overall development potential of commercial uses, increasing the potential for residential uses, lowering density along the Tenth Avenue corridor and altering the inclusionary affordable housing text.

The development potential for commercial uses was reduced from 26 million sq.ft. to 24.3 million sq.ft. The Council reduced the permitted floor area from 15 FAR to 13 along the west side of Tenth Avenue, unless a project included community facility space. Height controls were modified in Hell’s Kitchen, adjacent to the Lincoln Tunnel approaches, to limit the height to 180 ft. (read more…)

New development potential of 26 million sq.ft. of office space and 13.6 million sq.ft. of residential; 24 acres of parks, a subway extension, and a new boulevard approved. On November 22, 2004, the Commission approved the Bloomberg Administration’s major urban planning initiative for Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, the area bounded by West 30th and West 43rd Streets, running from Seventh and Eighth Avenues to Twelfth Avenue.

The ten applications before the Commission would achieve a comprehensive redevelopment plan, the expansion of City services and a rezoning of the entire area. At the center of the plan for redevelopment is the transfer from the MTA to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services of the 30-acre, eastern portion of the Caemmerer Yard, spanning from West 30th to West 33rd Streets and from Tenth to Eleventh Avenues, for construction of a platform over the yard. (See C 040505 PQM.) The platform would facilitate future private development and the City’s construction of new parks. Further, the rail yard transfer would partially enable the No. 7 Flushing Line expansion, which is proposed to extend from Times Square to West 41st Street and Tenth Avenue, then south to West 34th Street and Eleventh Avenue. (See C 040504 PQM.) (read more…)