Located in the heart of Manhattan, the Garment District takes up less than one square mile (a mere 8 by 3 block square) just West of Bryant Park. Historically a hot bed for wholesale garment production in Manhattan, the popularity of foreign production has left the Garment District struggling for traction in the ever-changing Manhattan landscape.
Hoping to provide a safe haven for New York City-based manufacturing, New York City’s Department of City Planning established the Special Garment Center District in 1987 which provided zoning protection to garment manufacturers. As rent and interest in the area has increased over time, a heated debate over the zoning protection laws has ensued.
New York plans to achieve the real estate industry’s goal of ending the full zoning protection of garment manufactures, while leaving space for what is left of the Manhattan-based garment industry. Current zoning requires owners of existing buildings larger than 70,000 square feet to maintain a 1:1 ratio when doing an office conversion. By requiring as much garment manufacturing space as office space, this rule has aimed to preserve the Garment Manufacturing industry in Manhattan. The city has also pledged to dedicate $20 million to acquire space for manufacturing and will offer tax breaks to landlords who set aside space (at least 25,000 square feet) for manufacturers. By meeting the complaints of landlords in the district who argue that the previous zoning laws preserve more space than the declining garment-production businesses can fill, a happy medium is in sight for the district.
By stepping back from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s previous plan of eliminating the special zoning protections completely, this revised plan, which entered the public review process on Monday, June 11th, would redirect the efforts of preserving a garment-industry presence in Midtown. The plan has now taken the first step in the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), a lengthy process which will take several months and culminate in a vote by the City Council to finalize the decisions. The proposed plan allows owners of buildings on certain side streets in the Garment District to convert their spaces to office use without having to preserve manufacturing space.
“The City of New York took an important first step today by providing the necessary investments in the fashion manufacturing sector, while at the same time removing antiquated zoning restrictions that have simply failed to stop the exodus of jobs overseas,” Barbara Blair, the president of the Garment District Alliance, said. “This plan offers the best opportunity to bolster the economic diversity of the area while offering a long-term sustainable solution for fashion manufacturers.”
If you have questions about the Garment District's zoning restrictions or would like assistance with an upcoming project, please contact Milrose's expert team of Code & Zoning Analysts.
