The New York Fashion Workforce Development Coalition (NYFWDC) launched a public campaign on Change.org urging New York City leaders to include essential protections for the Garment District as part of the proposed Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) Plan.

The petition invites the public to stand with NYC’s fashion workers, designers, manufacturers, educators, and small businesses—calling for bold, immediate action to preserve the city’s last manufacturing hub for fashion production.

View the Letter to City Planning and MSMX

Notable signatories include the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the Historic Districts Council (HDC), the Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS), Made in NYC, Pratt Fashion and Pratt Center for Community Development, CUNY Fashion Institute, Custom Collaborative, Closely Crafted and a growing coalition of Garment District makers—small businesses, designers, factories, schools, and creative brands—all advocating for strong protections in the Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) Plan.

“The Garment District is not a relic. It’s a vital part of New York’s creative and economic engine,” said NYFWDC in a joint statement. “We support the City’s vision for more housing and a more dynamic Midtown South—but it must not come at the cost of displacing the very workforce and infrastructure that make New York the fashion capital of the world.”

The petition outlines seven key recommendations to ensure that redevelopment works with industry—not against it. These include:

• Prioritizing adaptive reuse over demolition
• Restoring and expanding local fashion workforce programs
• Releasing $25M in pledged, but unallocated, BID funds
• Tripling city investment in building acquisition for garment manufacturers
• Limiting speculative residential development through strategic FAR caps
• Offering targeted tax relief for small fashion businesses
• Establishing a displacement relief fund to help impacted tenants remain in the District

The NYFWDC urges concerned New Yorkers and fashion industry supporters to sign the petition by noon on Monday, May 19, and add their voices to a growing coalition that includes small businesses, nonprofits, educators, and elected officials.

The Change.org petition can be found here.