By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
TRIBECA — After years of negotiating the details with the community, the city is moving forward with a plan to rezone 25 blocks just south of Canal Street to reflect North TriBeCa's transformation from a factory district to a family-oriented residential neighborhood.
The rezoning would remove an outdated manufacturing designation and make it easier for residential developers to build.
The city released the final rezoning proposal for public comment on Monday. Pending review by CB1, the borough president and the City Council, the rezoning could go into effect by the end of the year.
“It’s going to bring our neighborhood into compliance with what it’s become,” said Peter Braus, who chairs Community Board 1’s TriBeCa Committee. “We’re not a manufacturing neighborhood any longer — we’re a residential neighborhood.”
The city’s plan places new restrictions on the height and bulk of future buildings in the neighborhood. The proposal allows the greatest bulk near the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, while quieter, more historic blocks to the east and west of the tunnel will be designated for more modest sized structures.
At the community’s request, the city agreed to limit ground-floor retail shops to 10,000 square feet on wide streets and 5,000 square feet on narrow streets, to prevent large chains from coming into the neighborhood.
In addition to encouraging development more appropriate to the changing character of the area, the rezoning would provide an opportunity for people illegal living in lofts zoned for manufacturing to legalize their homes by applying for a residential certificate of occupancy (provided that everything is up to code).
Michael Levine, the director of Land Use and Planning for CB1, cited SoHo as an example of a neighborhood that had gone through this transformation before. He said that when this type of rezoning occurs in neighborhoods, the number of legal residences jumps immediately because everyone goes and gets legalized.
The city’s proposal affects the area bounded by West Street to the west, Canal Street to the north, Broadway to the east and Hubert, Beach, North Moore and Walker streets to the south.
North TriBeCa isn’t leaving its manufacturing past entirely behind: The new zoning will continue allowing select industrial uses, including furniture making and machine repair.
Community Board 1’s TriBeCa Committee will discuss the rezoning Wed., June 9 at 6 p.m. at 49-51 Chambers St., seventh floor.
