NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The mayor's office announced Wednesday that NoHo and SoHo are a step closer to becoming "more accessible than ever" with a plan to rezone the neighborhoods and create hundreds of affordable housing units there.
The SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan would "replace outdated, 50-year-old zoning to offer greater flexibility for ground floor use by businesses and arts and cultural organizations, while incentivizing the creation of new permanently affordable homes," according to the mayor's office.
The neighborhoods, which are former manufacturing areas, have zoning rules that date back to the early 1970s, the mayor's office said.
The plan would require affordable housing in all new developments, allowing for as many as 3,200 new homes to be created, with 800 permanently affordable homes via Mandatory Inclusionary Housing, according to the mayor's office.
"Thoughtful, progressive zoning changes will pave the way for the next fifty years of growth – while making two iconic neighborhoods more accessible than ever, and helping us rebuild a fairer and better city," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.
The plan is likely to face opposition in the upscale neighborhoods, with some residents opposing potential high-rise buildings for affordable housing. According to the New York Times, similar rezoning efforts in Inwood and Bushwick led to legal battles and fierce debate among residents.
De Blasio showed his support for the plan at his daily briefing Wednesday.
"You're talking about an area that has very little affordable housing. We have an opportunity here to create affordable housing, to bring to an area that has been upper-income a greater mix of New Yorkers, and create more balance, which is something I believe in fundamentally," the mayor said.
"We have an opportunity to help ensure that there will be jobs in the community in terms of retail, which is an area that has really been struggling throughout New York City. And we need clearer rules to help retail stores survive. So this is a rezoning that's been proposed to really create substantial community benefit, and there's a lot of support on the ground for the idea that there needs to be affordable housing in every community, including those that are upper-income. They also need to have affordable housing in those communities, and that's what this will achieve," he said.
