The Department of City Planning announced its intention to rezone a large swath of industrial land in Northern Manhattan, bounded by Broadway, the Harlem River, Dyckman Street and 207th Street. The new proposal would allow residential buildings, and permit increased bulk for developments containing at least twenty percent affordable housing.
The local community board has argued for an even higher affordable housing requirement, closer to Williamsburg/Greenpoint’s thirty percent, but DCP officials say that a lower threshold is needed to lure developers into what is now considered undesirable land. The city hopes that five new parks slated for construction along the waterfront will also help to raise the neighborhood’s profile.