By Ciara Long | Bisnow
After coming up empty in his housing agenda in Albany this year, New York Mayor Eric Adams kicked off a new effort to spur more office-to-residential conversions in the five boroughs.
At a press conference Thursday, Adams and city officials unveiled an Office Conversion Accelerator, a one-stop shop that Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer described as “a concierge service” where developers and landlords can go to navigate the myriad city agencies they need to work with to execute the complex projects.
The city also unveiled a Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan to rezone four areas between 23rd and 40th streets and between Fifth and Eighth avenues. The targeted areas, which span 42 blocks combined include the Garment District and several blocks just to the west of Madison Square Park. Residential uses aren’t allowed in current zoning, which permits office and manufacturing.