For the past several years, a coalition known as the Chinatown Working Group has been trying to come up with a long-range plan for the neighborhood. This month, they’re taking a set of new proposals to local community boards for review.
The meetings coming up before Community Boards 1, 2 and 3 are an outgrowth of a planning study conducted by the Pratt Center for Community Development. Generally speaking, the idea is to stabilize and increase the amount of affordable housing in Chinatown and the Lower East Side, while creating more small business and cultural opportunities. Among other recommendations, the community boards will be asked to endorse zoning changes in several pockets of the LES. There will be more to say after the meetings take place. But in the meantime, here’s the report, which offers a wealth of information regarding housing, economic development and other issues downtown. The proposals will be discussed at the Wednesday, January 15th meeting of Community Board 3’s land use committee. It takes place at University Settlement, 273 Bowery at 6:30 p.m.
Chinatown Working Group Report – Pratt Center by The Lo-Down
