Case Study 5

Case Study 5

Using Planning Funds, SoBro Informs Land Owners of What They Can Build Under New Zoning for the South Bronx

SoBRO, a local development corporation based in the South Bronx, administers the Port Morris – Harlem River state and city-funded planning program for a 200-acre strip of waterfront land along the Harlem River which was rezoned from manufacturing to mixed-use in 2009. SoBRO presented its place-based vacant land planning process to area property owners and the opportunity it affords landowners to reposition their properties in light of the new zoning.

From the outset, SoBRO focused on its capacity to fund a full-scale analysis of a visionary but realistic development opportunity within the Harlem River waterfront district, taking into account the community’s interest in public access to the water and the bottom line interests of property owners. SoBRO completed a visioning study that integrated a zoning analysis, bulk and massing diagrams, design of a waterfront esplanade, and a set of sustainability guidelines which provided a realistic sense of how much residential, commercial and community facility space could be built under the new zoning regulations. The study allowed SoBRO and property owners to home in on specific projects, model their financial feasibility and pursue capital funds to advance project implementation. A market feasibility study with demographic and market indicators necessary to build confidence among developers was also completed.

Property owners enthusiastically accepted SoBRO’s offer to undertake an analysis of what could be built on individual parcels under the new zoning regulations. Since the release of the Visioning Study, property owners, developers, and industry experts have used these products to garner financial and other support for their future development projects.