New York Fifth Avenue Boom Faces Redesign Backlash
What the Fifth Avenue Redesign Includes Two decades after earlier visions for Fifth Avenue stalled, the current redesign would remake the corridor from Bryant Park at 42nd Street to Central Park at 59th Street into a pedestrian-centered boulevard. It would reshape a high-profile Midtown stretch that includes Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The proposal arrives as New Yorkers continue to debate housing affordability across the city. The plan spans more than a dozen Midtown blocks and is framed as a world-class public space. Construction is expected to begin in 2028. The redesign would also cut traffic lanes from five to three along the corridor as part of its street reconfiguration . Street Features and Funding Strain The redesign includes wider sidewalks built for heavy foot traffic. It also adds tree-lined buffers, seating, lighting, and planting areas to support pedestrian plazas and retail activity. More than 230 new trees and roughly 20,000 square feet of planters ...