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Can Zoning Save the Garment Center?
By admins | December 1, 2009
Flickr image via jennaddenda
Can zoning save the Garment Center? That was the question batted around a discussion panel we recently attended. Fashion heavyweights, city planners, Garment Center representatives, and the public, gathered to discuss the future of the Garment Center. As we have mentioned many times before, zoning (as boring and unfashionable as it sounds) has played a key role in the development of the NYC fashion industry. Barry Dinerstein, a NYC City Planner, reminded us that the 1987 zoning laws are what protected our neighborhood in the past, and really have enabled the Garment Center to continue to exist as the heart of the American fashion industry today.
The zoning laws protect the buildings in our neighborhood from being converted into hotels, condos, law offices, and basically any other non-fashion related business. However, as we all know, landlords break these laws all the time. Zoning laws are step one, but actually enforcing them is the greater challenge. In today’s technically advanced world, a fashion business is just as likely to be a room full of people working on computers, as it is employees hunched over sewing machines. Unfortunately, this leads to difficult grey areas for inspectors to enforce, when they are unsure of what constitutes legal “use” of manufacturing space.
From the design perspective: Stan Herman, former president of the CFDA, made it clear that the hundreds of designers he represents support the protection of the Garment Center. He admits, that like others he does not know exactly what that means for the future. Designers are firm in their belief that the core manufacturing space should remain. The shear geographical and logistical ability that the Garment Center has to support fashion professionals, from buyers to designers, within a few small blocks can’t be found anywhere else in the country. One particular project that Stan was very excited about was the Fashion Incubator Program.
The program, which was announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is a way the city is stepping up to support emerging designers. Since we all know how ridiculously expensive it is to get office space in NYC, not to mention how practically impossible it is to financially launch a label, the city is offering help. The Fashion Incubator Program will provide state of the art showroom space to 12 young designers in the heart of the Garment Center. Below is a CAD of the proposed space. While we love the concept of the program, with hundreds of design professionals out of work in the area, not to mention hundreds more graduating every semester and flocking to NYC for work, we would think space for a 100 would be a start, but 12 seems more like a PR stunt. Yes, cynical we know, but 12? Really?
Many others spoke including Magda Aboulfadl from Community Board 5, who shared her personal experiences working in the Garment Center. She also reminded us why the Garment Center is so special and its unique ability to house both grit and glam in a few short blocks. The president of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District, (i.e. the button and the needle kiosk) Barbara Randall reminded us of our neighborhood’s history in manufacturing. The entire area was built specifically to house clothing factories in the 1920’s. At one time the Garment Center provided over 200,000 production jobs, while today there are only 9,000. Barbara too admits that in the wake of overseas production and in order to keep landlords profitable, there is no clear solution for protecting the neighborhood.
On a positive note, Patrick Murphy from New York City’s Economic Development Corporation revealed that the city considers fashion to be a growth industry. He explained that the city believes in supporting its “creative economy” and if we have learned nothing from the last year it is that NYC needs to become less reliable on Wall Street. Our neighborhood, despite its challenges, is the US fashion capital with no other city even coming close. As Patrick pointed out, every major company has a design office here, from Calvin Klein to Walmart. And let’s not forget that out of town retail buyers spend more than 18 billion dollars on goods a year in this little neighborhood.
So will zoning save the Garment Center? It seems before this question can even be answered we all need to decide what version of the Garment Center needs to be saved. No doubt zoning will certainly help. It is a much needed foundation to protect the fashion industry and American apparel manufacturing.
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Topics: garment center, new york | 3 Comments » 
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December 1st, 2009 at 10:51 am
Excellent post, just wish I had made it to this meeting sounds fascinating! I think the average consumer and even the average fashion professional never thinks twice a bout where there clothes are made and how these companies stay local.
And YES totally agree about the 12! Hope you all enjoyed holiday time off!
December 1st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
While it would be lovely to have everything made in NYC, most people would not be able to afford to buy clothes if we did.
I work for a company that sells to middle America and while some may say $150 for pants is a deal, most, like our customers can only pay $39 for the same pant and that price point wouldn’t be meet if we produced here.
December 4th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Such an informative piece! I definitely agree with you on 12 young designers for the Fashion Incubator Program being a weak effort. There is a similar program for artists working with installation art here in Pittsburgh and the Mattress Factory supports about 15 artists. It seems that with such a lucrative industry as fashion and in such a huge city they could go up to at least 50.
Its definitely good that the city recognizes the importance of fashion to its economic growth though. So much of New York’s draw is in its creative communities whether they are big or small, the creative communities are what keep it cool and prevent it from becoming just a huge rich town.