Make sure that new development is consistent with an existing Industrial Business Zone (IBZ)

There are currently 21 IBZs throughout the City. Where a lot on NYCommons falls within an existing IBZ, that information is included in the individual property page. You can also check the maps showing IBZs to see if a property falls within one of the designated zones.

If the lot is already in an IBZ, contact one of the city’s advocacy groups to plug into the citywide conversation about protecting the good, high-paying jobs that are located there, and that may not be able to move to another site in NYC.

Create a new IBZ for your waterfront

If the City is proposing a non-industrial use on a publicly owned waterfront property located in a community that was historically or recently a working waterfront, consider advocating for an industrial use or the creation of a new Industrial Business Zone to protect the surrounding industry that remains. There are many working waterfront communities in New York City that are not designated IBZs, but could be, and are in need of protections to ensure that the jobs in these places are preserved. To learn how to advocate for the creation of a new IBZ, reach out to organizations that have fought to strengthen and improve these places along the waterfront. Get in touch with citywide advocacy groups already involved in protecting industrial spaces in the city to see if others are organizing.

State and federal coastal management laws authorize NYC's Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP), which establishes guidelines to balance the competing land use priorities along the waterfront. Any project or action that impacts the waterfront, including changes in land use or building that is not allowed under current zoning, must undergo review for consistency with the Waterfront Revitalization Program. Proposals for a change in use for a publicly owned waterfront site are subject to review for WRP compliance, providing an opportunity for advocates to shape the outcome. The City’s WRP has two designations recognizing the importance of industrial uses along the waterfront, described below.