Ken Fisher, a land-use attorney at Cozen O’Connor and former City Council member, has proposed a new approach to large-scale housing development in New York City. His suggestion builds on a previous rezoning idea from the New York Building Congress, aiming to allow residential construction along the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Interborough Express (IBX) route.
Fisher advocates for the use of a general project plan (GPP) by Empire State Development, rather than pursuing individual rezonings. According to Fisher, “In addition to being comprehensive and faster, a GPP could allow revenue sharing with the MTA, which zoning can’t.” The potential for housing along the IBX route will be discussed at a panel event scheduled for October 29.
The idea of leveraging private development near transit lines to fund mass transit projects is not new. In other cities, this method has helped finance transit infrastructure by capturing the increase in property values that typically follows such projects. The Bloomberg administration applied a similar strategy when extending the 7 train to Hudson Yards.
Another proposal came from Bernard D’Orazio, a commercial debt collection attorney. He suggested extending the 7 train to the Meadowlands and developing a neighborhood around the parking lots there. D’Orazio stated, “Extend the 7 train to the Meadowlands and build a big neighborhood in and around the parking lots. People don’t need to live in the city, just close to the city. Ditch the new Port Authority Bus Terminal [plan] and build it in New Jersey on the new subway line.” This idea revisits a Bloomberg-era plan from 2011, which found that trains could connect Secaucus and Grand Central in 16 minutes. However, the MTA did not pursue the project.
Some readers responded with suggestions focused on policy changes, such as amending the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act to make it easier to renovate and re-rent mothballed rent-stabilized units. While considered cost-effective, these ideas were outside the scope of large-scale development concepts being sought.
Among the more unconventional submissions was one proposing floating islands for housing off Canarsie Pier, inspired by similar developments in the United Arab Emirates. The suggestion included building a tunnel and subway line to an uninhabited island, along with high-rise buildings without parking spaces. The plan also called for emergency infrastructure such as a heli-pad and medical clinic.
In response, it was noted that while bold, such an idea is not practical for New York City. Floating structures would be costly, especially given local labor laws. Canarsie Pol—the island referenced—is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area and is unsuitable for development due to its composition and federal protections. Building a subway extension would also be prohibitively expensive, estimated at $10 billion or more, making the project uneconomical. The nearest subway line is already above ground and there is no existing right-of-way for further extension.
It was further pointed out that Governors Island could be considered for new housing but is limited by restrictions from its transfer from federal to city control. Current plans for Governors Island are limited to student and faculty housing.
