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Introduction
The
Lower Broadway/Lower Manhattan Mixed-Use (LMM)
study area was once part of a much larger Lower
Manhattan wholesaling market and distribution
center for butter, eggs, cheese, produce and a
multitude of other commercial ventures. It was
developed in its present form primarily during
the latter nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
However, since the 1960's, the area's warehouse
and distribution role has experienced a steady
decline because of several factors, including
the relocation of maritime activity due to containerized
freight delivery needs, the relocation of centralized
waterfront food markets and the westward and northward
expansion of the Downtown Central Business District.
During the last two decades, the neighborhood's
built form has been altered little, yet the study
area has experienced significant land use change.
Residential use, scattered and isolated two decades
ago, now dominates many blocks that had traditionally
housed light manufacturing and wholesale trade
activities.
The
study area has been influenced by the areas around
it - the Downtown Central Business District to
the south; city, state and federal offices and
courts in the Civic Center district to the east;
the Washington Street Urban Renewal Area (URA)
and Battery Park City to the west; and the Holland
Tunnel and Canal Street corridor to the north
- yet it has retained its own distinctive characteristics:
small-scale lots with low-rise buildings in the
LMM; a mix of residential, commercial and light
industrial land uses, and a wide range of retail
services.
The
study area is bounded to the north by North Moore,
Walker and White streets, to the east by Lafayette
Street, Centre Street and Park Row, to the south
by Park Place and to the west by Greenwich Street.
The study area encompasses approximately 40 blocks
(78 acres, excluding streets). It includes significant
portions of the Tribeca/Washington Market neighborhood
in thenorthern and western portions of the study
area, as well as the Civic Center area in the
southeastern portion of the study area.
The
boundaries of the study area were selected to
incorporate the C6-4 zone that was of interest
to Community Board 1. It also enables the Department
of City Planning to revise the original LMM Subarea
A, which was surveyed in 1982, so that DCP can
analyze the appropriateness of the special district
controls. In June 1989, the Landmarks Preservation
Commission (LPC) held a public hearing on four
proposed Tribeca historic districts: (Tribeca
North, East, South and West). The Tribeca West
Historic District was approved with modifications
by the City Council in September 1991. The Tribeca
East, Tribeca North and Tribeca South historic
districts were approved in April 1993.
This
study was undertaken to examine current land use
trends and to determine desirable patterns for
future change. Certain goals and objectives have
been established for this study. They include:
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To promote the optimal mix of uses to meet the
varying demands for space within the study area;
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To ensure that future development is compatible
with the established physical character of
the study area;
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To create new housing opportunities consistent
with citywide housing policy;
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To direct commercial development to appropriate
locations; and
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To ensure that the Department's proposed zoning
regulations complement the Landmarks Preservation
Commission's proposals for individual landmark
and historic district designations within
the study area.
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