PRESENTATION
Expanding opportunities for building conversions to housing
0:53:34
·
3 min
Garodnick outlines the proposal to expand opportunities for converting non-residential buildings into housing as part of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative. He explains the current limitations and the proposed changes.
- Many vacant non-residential buildings currently can't be converted to housing due to outdated rules
- The proposal would expand the geography for conversion eligibility citywide
- It would allow conversion of former schools and religious buildings, not just offices
- The eligibility date for buildings would be moved from 1961 (or 1977 in Lower Manhattan) to 1991
- The proposal also includes allowing height-limited contextual infill on campuses and other irregular lots
- These changes are expected to support faith-based organizations in converting underutilized space into housing
Daniel Garodnick
0:53:34
On to conversions.
0:53:36
Many vacant nonresidential buildings can't convert today.
0:53:41
We have outdated rules that prevent many underused nonresidential buildings like offices from converting to housing.
0:53:50
For example, many buildings that were constructed after 1961 were outside of the city's largest office centers, they're not allowed to convert.
0:54:00
Next slide.
0:54:03
The city council created a task force on converting offices to housing.
0:54:09
2021, the Council passed a bill sponsored by Council member Brandon, which created a multiagency task force to study how vacant and underused office buildings could be converted into housing, That included the Department of City Planning.
0:54:24
I had the privilege of chairing this task force and the findings of that task force directly inform what we are proposing here.
0:54:31
I will note with a 19% vacancy rate in our commercial office buildings and a 1.41% vacancy rate in our rental housing.
0:54:40
This feels like an opportunity to match both of those needs.
0:54:44
Next slide.
0:54:46
So we would allow more buildings to convert to housing by expanding the geography for eligibility to make it city wide.
0:54:54
Make it easier to convert former schools, religious buildings, and not just offices.
0:54:58
If residential is allowed in the place where this building sits, we would allow for it to be converted to housing.
0:55:07
We would move the eligibility date from 19 61 to 1990 I'm sorry.
0:55:12
To 1977.
0:55:14
Let me start that sentence again.
0:55:15
1961 or 1977, right in here in Lower Manhattan, the date of eligibility is 1977.
0:55:22
We would move that date to 1991 allowing more recent buildings to convert, and we would allow buildings to convert to more types of housing as well.
0:55:32
You can see here on this slide the current eligible geography and then the proposed eligible geography.
0:55:38
Okay.
0:55:39
Next slide.
0:55:41
Okay.
0:55:41
We also want to allow height limited contextual infill.
0:55:44
You look at this slide and it's intended to be a little scary here because of our outdated 19 sixties era, height factor zoning, new buildings that are constructed on irregular lots and lots with existing buildings like campuses, they're required to be tall, skinny, and out of context, like what you see here.
0:56:02
This is not an outcome that anyone wants.
0:56:06
Next slide.
0:56:06
It results from our own bad zoning text.
0:56:10
So we create a new opportunity here.
0:56:12
We correct this so new buildings can be contextual and height limited on campuses.
0:56:18
I will note that we modified this proposal at the planning commission to not apply to NYCHA as they have their own tenant engagement regulations, their own ambitious agenda to pursue.
0:56:28
But for the buildings and sites that do not have their own pathway, we propose to keep it in place.
0:56:35
Next.
0:56:38
Importantly, City of Yes supports faith based organizations.
0:56:41
Both the conversions and height limited infill proposals would help faith based organizations here to convert underutilized space on their buildings and in on their campuses into housing that serves their communities.
0:56:55
Next slide.
