Upzoning SoHo and NoHo
In early 2021, the city released its proposal to rezone SoHo and NoHo, claiming the plan will make these neighborhoods more diverse and affordable, as well as allow new development that is in scale and character for the neighborhood. In fact it would have done just the opposite, allowing wildly out-of-scale new structures, encouraging the demolition of older ones, and encouraging the proliferation of big-box chain stores. Research by Village Preservation showed the plan would make these neighborhoods wealthier, less diverse, and more expensive, and would generate far fewer units of affordable housing than had been promised. It would have also had a disproportionate impact on Asian-American and lower-income residents who would be forced out as their homes are replaced by new, bigger, more expensive buildings.
In March 2021, Village Preservation issued its report, Upzoning SoHo and NoHo: Why the City’s Rezoning Plan Will Decrease Socio-Economic Diversity and Reduce Net Affordable Housing; two months later, we released another study for this campaign, The Many Ways de Blasio’s SoHo/NoHo Plan Encourages Developers to Build Without ANY Affordable Housing. We have posted these reports as well as additional research results and links on our SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning Resources page.
At the end of 2021, the City Council approved a modified version of Mayor de Blasio’s SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning plan. Approval was led by Councilmembers Margaret Chin, Carlina Rivera, and Corey Johnson. Under extreme pressure from groups like Village Preservation, the Council pared back some of the most damaging elements of the plan, but still approved a fundamentally flawed and misguided rezoning that not only will do great harm to these neighborhoods, but is also intended to serve as a model for more such rezonings in historic neighborhoods throughout NYC.
We will continue to fight for equitable, diverse, affordable neighborhoods that respect and preserve history and neighborhood character.
The SoHo/NoHo Rezoning: Tenants in the Crosshairs
Read our series of profiles about the low- and moderate-income rent-regulated tenants in the rezoning area that the de Blasio rezoning puts at risk of displacement. If you have a similar story that you would like to present, please contact us at info@gvshp.org.
Campaign Links
Video from Press Conference: SoHo/NoHo Upzoning prior to Manhattan Borough President Hearing
08/23/2021Video: At the SoHo/NoHo Protest with Zishun Ning via Bowery Boogie
05/10/2021Updates
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August 19, 2024
NYU Continues to Challenge Rules Prohibiting Its Expansion in NoHo and SoHo
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October 24, 2023
Another SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Fail: New Luxury Development Includes Private Pool, NO Affordable Housing
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May 17, 2023
NYU Lawsuit Seeking to Expand in NoHo and SoHo Rejected!
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February 21, 2023
Judge Accepts Our Motion to Intervene Over the Objections of Both NYU and NYC
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January 25, 2023
Village Preservation, Councilmember Christopher Marte, Coalition for Fairness in SoHo and NoHo, and Allied Community Groups File Motion to Intervene in NYU SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Expansion Case
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August 5, 2022
Village Preservation Op-Ed: Putting the Lie to “Build Baby Build”… Facts Show Unbridled Market-Rate Development Spurs Gentrification
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April 15, 2022
NYU Sues to Overturn Provision in SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning that Prohibited University Facilities
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April 6, 2022
Monitoring New Developments in SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown and Accuracy of Rezoning Predictions and Commitments
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January 18, 2022
Victory: Punitive SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Measure Vetoed!
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January 11, 2022
Urge Mayor Adams to Veto Draconian SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Measure
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December 16, 2021
City Council Approves SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning + Displacement Plan
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December 13, 2021
SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Rezoning Reminder: Final Vote as Soon as Wednesday, Call and E-Mail TODAY
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December 10, 2021
City Council Committee Approves SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning + Displacement Plan With Modifications
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December 8, 2021
Council Appears Poised to Vote on SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Plan Today, December 9, as New Financial Analysis Shows Fatal Flaws in Affordable Housing Claims
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December 3, 2021
City Council Vote On SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Pushed Back to Week of December 6 — CALL AND WRITE NOW!
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November 29, 2021
SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Vote Likely This Week — Flood the City Council With Calls and Letters
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November 23, 2021
SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Rezoning Vote Likely After Thanksgiving; Video and Final Push for ‘No’ Vote
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November 12, 2021
Opponents Vastly Outnumber Supporters At Rezoning Hearing; Village Preservation Releases Study Showing City Projections for Neighborhood Rezonings Are ‘Less Reliable Than Flipping a Coin’
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November 9, 2021
Final SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning Public Hearing Today — PLEASE TESTIFY AND/OR SUBMIT COMMENTS!
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November 2, 2021
City Council Virtual Public Hearing on Disastrous SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Upzoning Plan Next Tuesday, Nov. 9, around 11:30 am
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October 26, 2021
More Evidence that Upzoning Makes New York Less Affordable, Not More, and the Reality Deniers
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October 21, 2021
City Planning Commission Approves SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Rezoning Plan with Changes that Are ‘Less Than Nothing’; Now Heads to City Council
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October 8, 2021
City Proposes Further ‘Changes’ to Upzoning Proposal for SoHo, NoHo, and Chinatown that Amount to Nothing
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October 8, 2021
Village Preservation Op-Ed: ‘Trickle Down’ Affordable Housing in NYC Is a Fail; Don’t Force It on SoHo, NoHo and Chinatown
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September 24, 2021
City Signals Window-Dressing Changes to SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan
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September 16, 2021
Exposing the City’s False Affordable Housing Claims for SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown Rezoning
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September 3, 2021
Opponents Overwhelm Six-Hour City Planning SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Hearing; City’s Baseless Claims of Racism Face Backlash; Elected Officials Join Opposition
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August 31, 2021
City Planning Commission SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Hearing This Thursday, September 2, 10 am
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August 19, 2021
Details on SoHo/NoHo Hearings, New Data Shows Falsehoods and Lies Behind Rezoning
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August 10, 2021
Borough President’s Public Hearing on SoHo/NoHo Monday, August 23, 6-8 pm; City Planning Hearing Likely Day of September 2
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August 5, 2021
Manhattan Borough President’s SoHo/NoHo Hearing Likely Monday, August 23
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July 28, 2021
Community Board 2 Overwhelmingly Rejects SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan; BP and CPC To Hold Hearings
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July 23, 2021
SoHo/NoHo Updates: Final Community Board Vote Monday 6:30 pm; Elected Officials Silent on or Support Slanderous Attacks on Plan Opponents; City Planning Hearing Likely Sept. 1
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July 14, 2021
City Defames Community Groups Who Oppose SoHo/NoHo Plan; Documenting Vulnerable Tenants Rezoning Plan Will Hurt; New Flyer to Mobilize Neighbors Against Upzoning
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June 25, 2021
Huge Turnout for SoHo/NoHo Hearing, Housing/Tenant and Neighborhood Groups United in Opposition
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June 23, 2021
Affordable Housing and Tenant Groups, SoHo, NoHo, and Chinatown Neighborhood Organizations, and Artists and Historic Preservationists Slam de Blasio SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Plan, Urge “NO” Vote
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June 21, 2021
Community Board 2 SoHo/NoHo Public Hearing Now In Person: Wednesday at 6:30 pm, Press Conference at 6 pm
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June 14, 2021
Reminders: Annual Meeting and Village Awards this Wednesday; SoHo/NoHo Public Hearing June 23 and 24
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June 4, 2021
First Official SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Hearings — Community Board 2, June 23 and 24
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May 28, 2021
SoHo/NoHo Update: Certified Plan Contains Demographic Deception and NYU Welcome Mat; Community Groups Demand Electeds Reject
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May 19, 2021
De Blasio’s SoHo/NoHo Plan Is Certified, Largely Unchanged; Public Review Process To Begin
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May 14, 2021
Report Shows City’s SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan Unlikely To Produce Any Affordable Housing
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May 13, 2021
Tenant Advocates and SoHo, NoHo, Chinatown Communities Unite vs. Mayor’s Upzoning Plan
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May 6, 2021
Rally for SoHo, NoHo, and Chinatown and Against City Upzoning Plan Monday at Noon
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May 3, 2021
City Delays SoHo/NoHo Certification Without Explanation; Citywide Tenant and Housing Groups Come Out Strongly Against Mayor’s Plan; Neighbors File Lawsuit
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April 30, 2021
Important SoHo/NoHo Updates — Opposition Grows, Mayoral Candidates Opine, Plan To Move Monday
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April 23, 2021
New Images Show The Tip of The SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Iceberg
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April 19, 2021
Long Lost Cache of Early SoHo Photos Raises Awareness, Funds to Fight City Plan
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April 19, 2021
Pressing Mayoral and City Council Candidates on Upzoning and SoHo/NoHo
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April 19, 2021
Community Board 2 Meeting SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Tonight
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April 8, 2021
City, State, and National Opposition to SoHo/NoHo Plan; Community Board Meeting Wednesday 4/14
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April 5, 2021
Preservation Petition to NYC Mayoral Candidates Gains Signatures and Supporters — Keep the Progress Going
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March 15, 2021
SoHo/NoHo Teach-In Tonight at 6pm — Register Now!
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March 9, 2021
Virtual Town Hall and Teach-In on SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Plan and Study Exposing Its True Impacts: Monday, March 15 at 6pm
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March 5, 2021
Study: City’s Proposed SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Would Make Neighborhoods Richer, Whiter, and More Expensive
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December 8, 2020
Community Board 2 Meeting on SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Plan Tonight, Tuesday 12/8 at 6:30 pm
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November 24, 2020
Hearing on Scope of the Environmental Review for Proposed SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Plan December 3
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October 27, 2020
De Blasio SoHo/NoHo Plan Even Worse Than We Expected
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October 19, 2020
First SoHo-NoHo Upzoning+Rezoning Public Meeting Next Monday, October 26, 6-8pm Sign Up To Speak TODAY!
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September 25, 2020
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer Comes Out In Support of SoHo/NoHo Upzoning, Saying They’re “Critical” In Neighborhoods Like SoHo
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September 22, 2020
Op-Ed Rejects SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Arguments
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September 16, 2020
Confronting Renewed SoHo/NoHo Upzoning Push From Groups With (Undisclosed) Vested Interests
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January 13, 2020
Big SoHo/NoHo Meeting This Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 6:30pm
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January 6, 2020
Critical Meetings on Potential SoHo/NoHo Rezoning Jan. 8 + Jan. 15
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December 12, 2019
Public Meeting on SoHo-NoHo Study Recommendations on January 8
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November 27, 2019
SoHo/NoHo Study Released – Upzoning To Follow?
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June 14, 2019
SoHo-NoHo ‘Preliminary Recommendations’ Revealed, Could Lead to Big Changes
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May 17, 2019
City to Reveal Preliminary SoHo/NoHo Recommendations June 13
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April 4, 2019
Big SoHo-NoHo Rezoning Meetings Next Wed. 4/10 & Thurs. 4/11
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March 26, 2019
More Pushback on NoHo-SoHo Zoning Plan
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March 14, 2019
Continuing the Fight to Save SoHo & NoHo – Next Public Meeting March 20
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March 6, 2019
Community Groups Form Save SoHo-NoHo Coalition in Light of Rezoning Push – Support Us
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February 25, 2019
NoHo-SoHo Rezoning Meeting Thursday Feb. 28 Starting at 6pm
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February 4, 2019
NoHo/SoHo Rezoning Meeting This Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 6:15pm
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February 4, 2019
NoHo/SoHo Rezoning Meeting This Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 6:15pm
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January 14, 2019
Potential SoHo/NoHo Rezoning
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