News & Events

To be sent to the NYC Department of City Planning and MSMX stakeholders on May 19, 2025

The New York Fashion Workforce Development Coalition (NYFWDC), along with the undersigned businesses, organizations, design schools, and elected officials, supports the City’s goal of expanding housing opportunities and bringing renewed energy to Midtown South. We appreciate the vision behind the Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan (MSMX), and we share your commitment to creating a more equitable, vibrant, and inclusive future for New York City.

At the same time, we believe this plan presents an important opportunity to strengthen —not displace—the Garment District’s unique ecosystem of makers, designers, manufacturers, educators, and small businesses. This community is not a relic of the past, but a living and evolving part of New York’s creative economy. With the right guardrails in place, the MSMX plan can serve both housing and industry—preserving local jobs, legacy skills, and the infrastructure that enables innovation.

To that end, we respectfully propose seven recommendations to help ensure that the Garment District continues to thrive within the broader goals of MSMX:

1. Prioritize adaptive reuse over demolition.
Encourage thoughtful conversion of existing buildings over tear-downs. Many of the District’s loft buildings were built specifically for manufacturing—spaces that cannot be recreated under current codes.

2. Restore and expand workforce programs.
Reinvest in initiatives like CFDA’s Fashion Manufacturing Initiative (FMI), Custom Collaborative, and other workforce development programs that train and retain local talent.

3. Release the promised BID funds.
Of the $25M pledged through the Garment District Alliance, much remains unallocated. These funds should be released to support small businesses, guided by a reinstated Special Programming Committee.

4. Relaunch the building acquisition and IDA program.
Provide clear, accessible tools for businesses and nonprofits to secure long-term space—ensuring the District remains a viable home for fashion production. Given the failure of the 2018 plan due to insufficient funds, and considering the current real estate market where properties with suitable freight elevators and facilities are often over $50M, we request a significant increase in funding. At least 3x the previously pledged $20 million is needed. We urge the City to reconsider and pledge enough funding to secure multiple buildings dedicated to garment manufacturing and the creation of a support structure to facilitate factory placement.

5. Adopt strategic FAR limits.
Introduce balanced commercial and residential FAR caps, especially in midblocks, to prevent speculative development, displacement of longstanding tenants, and widescale demolition over adaptive reuse.

6. Offer targeted tax relief for fashion-related businesses.
Implement incentives that help small manufacturers and service providers manage rising costs while continuing to invest in NYC.

7. Establish a displacement relief fund.
Support businesses affected by redevelopment with grants, relocation assistance, and resources that allow them to remain part of the Garment District’s fabric.

We view these recommendations not as obstacles, but as opportunities—ways to ensure that the MSMX plan meets its full potential as a forward-looking, inclusive model of urban planning. We are eager to continue this conversation and work together toward a solution that allows the Garment District to evolve without erasing the businesses and communities that define it.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
The New York Fashion Workforce Development Coalition (NYFWDC)