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New York City to Begin $402M Fifth Avenue Redesign in 2028 Stretching About 16 Blocks

New York City will begin a $402M redesign of Fifth Avenue in 2028, creating a pedestrian-friendly boulevard stretching 16 blocks from Bryant Park to Central Park. The project includes widened sidewalks, more greenery and fewer vehicle lanes to enhance walkability and safety, drawing inspiration from iconic shopping streets worldwide. Funding includes a $250M allocation in the mayor's budget, aimed at revitalizing the historic corridor and supporting economic growth.

Thu May 22, 2025 - Northeast Edition #13
Office of New York Mayor Eric Adams & amNewYork


Construction to transform a stretch of Manhattan's iconic Fifth Avenue into a pedestrian-focused boulevard will officially begin in early 2028, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced May 21, 2025.

To fully fund the $400 million redesign, which will span from Bryant Park north to Central Park, Adams has allocated an additional $250 million in his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. That is on top of a previously committed $152.7 million in 2024 to reimagine the iconic 200-year-old corridor.

The approximately 16-block-long stretch, which includes landmarks such as Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick's Cathedral, will be revamped into a world-class public space with widened sidewalks, more greenery and fewer vehicle lanes.

"Fifth Avenue is a bustling boulevard of shopping, restaurants, businesses and tourism, with more people walking down the street every hour than fill Madison Square Garden during a sold-out Knicks game," Adams said in a statement to amNewYork prior to his official announcement. "Thanks to hundreds of millions of new dollars we are infusing into Fifth, we are finally making what has been called ‘America's Street of Dreams' a pedestrian paradise by making it more walkable, greener and safer."

Currently, Fifth Avenue includes five traffic lanes and two 23-ft.-wide sidewalks. While pedestrians account for 70 percent of traffic along the street, only 46 percent of the space is currently allocated to them.

However, the current avenue configuration can no longer accommodate this volume of foot traffic, especially given that only 15 ft. on either side is unobstructed for walking; the rest is occupied by street infrastructure like signage, bus stops, lighting and trash cans.

Under the city's plan, sidewalk widths will nearly double to 33-ft.-6-in. on each side, and pedestrian zones will be expanded to 25 ft. The redesign also will add tree-lined buffers, benches, lighting and stormwater infrastructure to improve walkability, comfort and climate resilience.

In addition, the redesign will shorten pedestrian crossings by more than one-third, while traffic lanes will be reduced from five to three. The upgrades also include the installation of more than 230 new trees and 20,000 sq. ft. of planters, amNewYork reported, to create additional shade cover to protect against heat.

The city also has plans to install innovative stormwater infrastructure to prevent flooding, amNewYork noted.

The new street design draws inspiration from Fifth Avenue's historic landmarks and art deco influences, heightening the iconic architectural features integral to the avenue's visual identity.

It also is inspired by other recognizable shopping street redesigns across the globe, including the Champs Elysees in Paris; Calle Serrano in Madrid; Bond, Oxford and Regent Streets in London; and Ginza in Tokyo. The effort builds on the core tenets of the "New" New York action plan, which identified public space as a key force for the city's economic recovery.

Construction will first begin with upgrades to underground utilities, allowing street-level and subsurface work to proceed simultaneously. Schematic design is currently under way and expected to be completed by summer, according to City Hall.

Fifth Avenue to See First Major Upgrade in Its Long History

Part of Adams' Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget — referred to often as the city's "Best Budget Ever" — the total $402 million streetscape project represents the first major redesign in Fifth Avenue's 200-year history.

The venture is the culmination of years of support building through the Adams administration's remarkably successful Holiday Open Streets along Fifth Avenue. The event temporarily pedestrianized the avenue and nearby streets for the holiday season and boosted the sales of nearby businesses.

In his statement, Adams said the $400 million investment will "pay for itself within five years of completion" through increased property and sales tax revenue while supporting job growth. According to city officials, Fifth Avenue is already responsible for an estimated 313,000 direct and indirect jobs, generating $111.5 billion in annual economic output.

Since the initiative was first announced in 2022, the corridor has seen more than $3.9 billion in commercial real estate sales, which stakeholders say indicates growing investor confidence.

The plan is a collaboration between city agencies and the Future of Fifth partnership, which includes the Fifth Avenue Association, the Grand Central Partnership, the Central Park Conservancy and the Bryant Park Corporation.

"This historic investment is going to reinvigorate one of the world's most important streets and set the stage for another triumphant 200 years on Fifth Avenue," Madelyn Wils, CEO, Fifth Avenue Association and co-chair of the Future of Fifth Steering Committee, said ahead of Adams' announcement.

"Hundreds of thousands of people come to Fifth Avenue every day — and most of them are pedestrians," she said. "This visionary plan will rebalance 5th Avenue to better serve both New Yorkers and tourists alike. I applaud Mayor Adams for his leadership in advancing this bold vision for Fifth Avenue and look forward to partnering with the city on turning it into a reality."




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