A major rezoning of Manhattan’s Chelsea Market is on its way to approval in the City Council next week, sources said after a heated, four-hour hearing on the project.
Council Speaker Christine Quinn did not attend the council’s Zoning Subcommittee hearing yesterday, even though the project is in her district, and issued a statement saying she is still examining the plan.
But several sources familiar with negotiations said Quinn is almost certain to approve the proposal, which would add 286,000 square feet of office space atop the market’s western side, along 10th Avenue, and at 9th Avenue and 16th Street. The developer, Jamestown Properties, has promised to give $4.7 million to affordable housing in the area, amenities to the nearby High Line 1,200 permanent new office jobs.
Opponents – including Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, who did not testify yesterday – say the plan is out of character with the neighborhood and worry about lengthy construction and traffic.