New York City Planning Commission review session on July 13, 2026 examined an application by the Herald Center Department Store of New York LLC to change signage rules in the Special Midtown district and grant a special permit for a 2,333-square-foot illuminated LED wraparound advertising sign at 1293 Broadway in Herald Square, raising questions about precedent for digital advertising in mixed‑use Midtown South. (Source: https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/dcp/assets/files/pdf/about/commission/review-sessions/2026-07-13rs.pdf)
# What’s happening
– The City Planning Commission reviewed a zoning text amendment and special permit application.
– Herald Center Department Store of New York LLC seeks a 2,333 sq ft illuminated LED wraparound sign.
– The proposed sign could reach up to 105 ft above curb level if permitted.
# Why it matters
– Residents and pedestrians near Herald Square could see large illuminated advertising near homes.
– Approval could allow similar digital advertising in other Special Midtown locations, changing public realm rules.
# Key details
– Meeting date: City Planning Commission review session, July 13, 2026.
– Project location: 1293 Broadway at Herald Square, Manhattan Community District 5.
– Proposed sign: 2,333 square feet, three panels, 58 1/3 feet total width, wraparound LED advertising.
– Vertical limits: waiver zone 60–105 feet above curb level; sign capped at 40 feet tall within that zone; overall reach up to 105 feet.
– Existing signage and request: site has 1,225 square feet of accessory signs across five frontages; applicant requests 2,333 square feet of new advertising signage.
– Zoning change sought: a zoning text amendment to create a new special permit (proposed ZR section 8115) limited to Special Midtown frontages on Broadway, Avenue of the Americas, and West 34th Street in C6-6 areas; no flashing signs would be permitted.
At its July 13, 2026 review session, the City Planning Commission heard a presentation from the New York City Department of City Planning on an application by the Herald Center Department Store of New York LLC to create a new zoning special permit and install a 2,333-square-foot illuminated LED advertising sign at 1293 Broadway. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1302
**Herald Center Department Store of New York LLC**
– Role or jurisdiction: Applicant for a zoning text amendment and special permit.
– Action taken or responsibility: Requested a special permit to permit a 2,333 sq ft illuminated LED wraparound sign.
– Relevant numbers or dates: Proposed sign area 2,333 sq ft; site address 1293 Broadway. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1302
**New York City Department of City Planning (DCP)**
– Role or jurisdiction: Presented the application and described zoning context to the commission.
– Action taken or responsibility: Described existing signage rules, site context, and proposed text amendment. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1302
DCP explained that New York City zoning tightly limits illuminated advertising signage and currently allows directly illuminated LED advertising in a small geography — principally Times Square, the Penn Center subdistrict, parts of 7th Avenue, and Coney Island outside Manhattan. The department noted that most Midtown areas, including Herald Square, do not permit illuminated advertising. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1534
DCP gave site context for 1293 Broadway: the lot is about 24,426 square feet and contains a nine‑story, 140‑foot commercial building with retail and office uses. The area around Herald Square is mixed‑use and includes prominent residential buildings fronting the square. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1534
DCP summarized the existing signage on the development site as 1,225 square feet of accessory signs across five frontages, leaving 98 square feet of as‑of‑right signage remaining for the lot, and said the applicant proposes a 2,333‑square‑foot illuminated advertising sign that would span three panels on the chamfered corner at Broadway, West 34th Street, and Avenue of the Americas. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1607
DCP described the vertical arrangement and waiver: the applicant seeks a signage waiver zone from 60 to 105 feet above curb level (a 45‑foot tall zone), with a condition that no sign exceed 40 feet in height within that zone; the application seeks to permit the sign to reach up to 105 feet above curb level overall. DCP said the proposal would modify height, surface area, and type regulations. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1607
DCP and commissioners noted the application requires a zoning text amendment to create a new special permit (identified in the presentation as ZR section 8115) to modify existing signage rules. DCP said the special permit would be geographically limited to portions of the Special Midtown district where zoning lots front on Broadway, Avenue of the Americas, or West 34th Street and are mapped C6‑6. The department said the special permit would allow conditions, forbid flashing signs, and allow the commission to prescribe additional safeguards. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1302 https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1757
Commissioners asked whether allowing illuminated advertising in Herald Square would set a precedent for broader digital‑advertising expansion into new geographies. DCP responded that it crafts narrow geography text amendments carefully, that the special permit is site‑specific, and that the department is “cognizant” that such changes can set precedent and therefore merit scrutiny. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1901 https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1828
Commissioners and the department discussed content controls and the meaning of “flashing.” DCP said zoning contains a concept of flashing but does not specify the time interval; the proposed condition would permit periodic rotation of content but would not allow continuous video or rapid succession images intended to capture a pedestrian’s continuous attention. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=2145
Members raised broader questions about the public realm and advertising on street furniture and transit infrastructure that fall outside zoning. DCP said zoning controls private‑property signage and that public‑realm advertising (for example on bus shelters or subway entrances) involves other agencies; DCP said it will return later in the process with a departmental position after further review and applicant testimony. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=2315 https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=2401
The session on July 13, 2026 was a review and presentation; the record at the meeting shows the commission and department discussing policy, potential conditions, and safeguards but does not record a final vote or approval of the text amendment or special permit at that time. Source: https://youtu.be/zv_flIbkgzg&t=1302
For DCP’s published agenda and item listing for the July 13, 2026 review session, see the commission’s materials. (Source: https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/dcp/assets/files/pdf/about/commission/review-sessions/2026-07-13rs.pdf)
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