City Council Member Corey Johnson. Image credit: NYCC/William Alatriste

City Council’s Zoning Committee discusses proposed construction of a 22-story building next to U-Haul depot on West 23rd Street. On March 28, 2017, the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee heard testimony on an application to modify bulk regulations within the Special West Chelsea District in lower west Manhattan. The applicant, 23rd and 11th Associates LLC, sought a zoning text amendment to permit the distribution of floor area across different commercial zoning districts and subarea boundaries for zoning lots fronting on 11th Avenue and West 23rd Street to allow the allocation of floor area across a single zoning lot on West 23rd Street. (read more…)

Amendment allows the transfer of residential floor area from the High Line subdistrict.  On May 19, 2015 the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises approved an amendment to the Special West Chelsea District zoning text to allow a transfer of residential floor area from the High Line Transfer Corridor subdistrict.  The applicant, 22-23 Corp c/o Park It Management, sought the amendment to allow transfer residential floor area from its property at 510-512 West 23rd Street, where current zoning text would only permit transfer of the property’s commercial floor area.

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Areas under study by the Department of City Planning for inclusion into the Special West Chelsea District. Area “A” is currently slated for expansion. Image credit: DCP

Proposal extends Special District bulk regulations and clarifies language in the zoning text.  On January 13, 2015 the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises voted to approve the expansion of the Special West Chelsea District. The proposal was designed by the Department of City Planning and Manhattan Community Board 4 to expand the district by one partial block between West 15th Street to the north, West 14th Street to the south, 9th Avenue to the east, and 10th Avenue to the west in order to reinforce the residential character of West Chelsea. The proposal was approved by the City Planning Commission on December 17, 2014.

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Areas under study by the Department of City Planning for inclusion into the Special West Chelsea District. “Area A” (at bottom) is currently before the City Planning Commission. Image credit: DCP

CPC certified application to increase the district’s footprint.  On September 2, 2014, the City Planning Commission held a review session on the Department of City Planning’s proposal to expand the Special West Chelsea District.  The proposal would expand the district by one partial block, generally bounded by West 15th Street to the north, West 14th Street to the south, 9th Avenue to the east, and 10th Avenue to the west.  The existing West Chelsea district is generally bounded between West 30th Street to the north, West 15th Street to the south, 11th Avenue to the west, and 9th Avenue to the east.  The district was originally formed with the intent of developing the High Line into a public open space, and the surrounding West Chelsea neighborhood into a mixed-use residential community.  (See previous CityLand coverage here.)

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Developer plans to convert West Chelsea warehouse to a pre-K though 12 private school. On October 19, 2011, the City Planning Commission approved Avenues World Holdings LLC’s proposal to convert a ten-story warehouse into a 1,635- seat private K-12 school, known as Avenues: The World School, in West Chelsea. The Cass Gilbert-designed building occupies the western side of Tenth Avenue between West 25th and West 26th Streets, and is within Avthe boundaries of the Special West Chelsea District and the West Chelsea Historic District. The warehouse is across the street from the Elliot- Chelsea Houses and the High Line runs along its western facade.

Avenues World Holdings’ proposal includes adding a rooftop gym and renovating the recessed loading bay docks lining the building’s ground floor along Tenth Avenue. Avenues World Holdings would open the loading bays by removing overhead security doors to create two colonnades and increase circulation space for students. To accommodate the gym’s 25-foot high ceiling, Avenues World Holdings would need to increase the building’s height to 144 feet.  (read more…)

Under new plan, City can opt to build High Line amenities in exchange for $2.3M developer fee. On September 5, 2007, the Planning Commission approved amendments to the zoning text for the Special West Chelsea District, specifically aimed at allowing the City to opt to build amenities for the High Line Park rather than waiting for developers to complete the construction.

Under the original text, developments adjacent to the High Line could receive a floor area bonus if the developer agreed to construct amenities for the High Line Park. Since the text’s approval in March 2006, the City grew concerned that developers might delay the High Line Park’s opening since construction of the amenities would correspond to the development’s construction timeline, not the park’s. (read more…)