Overview
- NYC Department of City Planning launched the South of Prospect neighborhood study on Wednesday and opened an online survey to begin a monthslong community engagement process.
- The study targets commercial corridors on McDonald Avenue and Coney Island Avenue and nearby blocks that now host one‑story shops, auto shops, and low‑rise homes under outdated single‑use zoning.
- City planners said the rezoning will be transit‑oriented and take the planned Interborough Express light‑rail into account to enable taller buildings and potentially thousands of new homes near existing subway lines.
- Officials say the effort will aim to deliver permanently income‑restricted housing and neighborhood investments while seeking community input, and local councilmembers have publicly backed advancing the planning work as residents raise concerns about displacement and small‑business impacts.
- The move is part of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push to speed housing production citywide, pairs with a separate White Plains Road rezoning in the North Bronx, and relies on recent state and voter changes intended to shorten review timelines for new development.