City Council to decide on West Side rezoning plan.

With the approval of the City Planning Commission, the City Council will now decide on the rezoning of the West Side--a decision that will affect the city's overall redevelopment for the 59-block area.

Last week, by a vote of 10 to 1, the City Planning Commission approved the plan to develop the area from 30th to 43rd streets, including the development of the proposed convention corridor and extension of the No.7 train.

Construction industry leaders like Richard Anderson, president of the New York Building Congress, say the critical issue is whether or not the Council will downscale the plan, which could dilute the city's revenue stream from future development of the area--an essential factor in repaying the high interest bonds the city plans to use to finance the first phase of development.

"I think the debate will be over the scale of allowable density, especially on the commercial side," Anderson said last week, after the commission passed the rezoning plan. "What's critically important is that they not downzone too much, because sufficient development is required to finance the public improvements and enhance transportation."

Anderson said "the critical level is about 26 million s/f of potential (commercial) development." The total plan is 40 million s/f, which includes residential development.

"If you go below that it starts to trigger real problems," he noted. "The Hudson Yards plan is a well conceived, long-term proposal that will benefit the city of New York for a long, long time. Within it, the proposed Sports and Convention Center will be truly a one-of-a-kind facility, unlike anything else in the country. I think it will bring enormous and tremendous benefits for a wide range of New Yorkers from every background and walk of life."

Two weeks ago, Council Speaker Gifford Miller spoke to the NYBC saying he supported the rezoning.

"We must take advantage of every opportunity we have to secure the long-term growth of out city, to create more jobs and to build more housing for all New Yorkers," Miller said. "I will support a rezoning plan that makes that happen."

Through the public review process the city's original plan was changed. Last month, in addition to other changes, the city increased the affordable housing component of the plan satisfying some that had misgivings about supporting the entire plan.

The new plan includes: an increase in residential development and an expanded affordable housing program to produce or preserve roughly 2,600 affordable housing units with a total of 13,600 new units in the area; a reduction in commercial development of 2 million s/f and redistribution of remaining 26 million s/f; a zoning bonus that would encourage construction of small theaters to revitalize the western portion of 42nd Street; and a zoning incentive to create a pedestrian passage on West 32nd Street, linking the soon-to-be-constructed Moynihan Station with the new six-acre public square on 11th Avenue.

"We have been able to increase the number of units of housing overall and have raised the number of affordable units by some 50%," said Virginia C. Fields, Manhattan borough president. "My office is committed to expanding the range of incomes of future residents that will benefit from this project, so it is not just luxury and low-income housing."

However, even with more affordable housing a sticking point remains--the controversial Jets' Sports and Convention Center, which the Council does not have final approval over.

"The discussion about how to develop the West Side and how we should follow in New York's tradition of great public works has been sounding less like a rational discussion and more and more like a heated argument solely about a football stadium," Miller told the NYBC.

Many supporters of the West Side plan can't get behind the city's plan for a stadium there.

"I do not believe the West Side of Manhattan is the best place to put a stadium. I continue to have serious concerns about the financing and costs of this project," Fields said.

The question is: could the Council dilute the plan enough to hinder the development of the stadium? Anderson doesn't think so and if it did, it may not stop the stadium anyway.

"If they (Council members) really scuttle the whole rezoning plan, which I don't think that they will do, that will have a negative impact on the interest of the New York Jets in building a stadium," Anderson said. "I think it's really a package. "On the other hand, they could say 'we'll go forward, we'll get the rezone later.'"

But Anderson said the stadium is an important component of the overall success of the West Side development and he would like everyone to get onboard to support it.

"Please be mindful that the Sports and Convention Center is integral to success of the overall plan, particularly from the stand point of jump starting development in the area," he said.

"Without the stadium, implementation of the plan could take decades longer."