Freedom Plaza, the bold $11.1B civic and cultural vision for Manhattan’s East Side led by Soloviev Group and Mohegan, recently presented at the second public hearing of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC). Building on its ongoing commitment to collaboration and community engagement, the Freedom Plaza team announced an expansion of its affordable housing plan alongside a restrictive declaration, making it the first project to legally bind itself to the commitments being made for community benefits as part of the application.
During the hearing, Freedom Plaza announced a substantial increase in its housing commitment, raising the total number housing units to 1,080 and affordable units to 600, up from the previously planned 1,049 overall units and 513 affordable, as well as the new addition of apartment units for growing families. The Freedom Plaza project offers more significantly affordable housing than any other Manhattan proposal on site with access to world-class amenities and is positioned to deliver the largest anticipated number of newly constructed affordable homes in Manhattan’s Central Core in more than a decade. This further builds upon the fact that Freedom Plaza is the only project in the borough to offer open green space.
“The increase to 600 homes that working people can afford is the direct result of listening to the elected leaders and the community, and it affirms our core belief that development must serve the people who live and work here,” said Michael Hershman, CEO of Soloviev Group. “We have stood ready throughout this process to work with local leaders to deliver an application that maximizes the community benefits to the greatest extent possible as a result of this license, and with this expansion in housing we believe we are addressing the requests that have been made to date.”
As part of its broader community investment, Freedom Plaza also announced a new partnership with Settlement Housing Fund, a nonprofit that has preserved more than 8,900 homes for low- and moderate-income families since 1969. Soloviev Group and Mohegan have committed $1 million to support the organization’s work at Tanya Towers. Located at 620 East 13th Street, Tanya Towers provides 138 permanently affordable apartments, many of which are home to residents living with disabilities, are seniors, or are veterans.
“Freedom Plaza is setting a new bar for what inclusive community-focused development should look like,” said Jamie A. Smarr, President of the NYC Housing Partnership. “By significantly expanding the number of homes that working people can afford with world class amenities, Soloviev and Mohegan are delivering a strong commitment to address New York City’s crisis of affordability with real middle class housing options and providing long-term neighborhood stability.”
“Considering the dearth of affordable housing in NYC, Henry Street recognizes the significance of the Freedom Plaza team growing its count of permanently affordable units at its planned East Side development and incorporating additional three bedroom units as a step forward and so critical to keeping families in our community, close to the schools, institutions, and networks that preserve neighborhoods,” said David Garza, President and CEO, Henry Street Settlement.
In addition, the development team detailed the project’s comprehensive traffic analysis and mitigation plan, which has been vetted by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The study found that project-generated traffic will add less than three percent to flow traveling up First Avenue past nearby hospital facilities. To reduce impacts, Freedom Plaza’s design incorporates features that prioritizes pedestrians and takes critical steps to protect First Avenue including removing previously approved vehicular access to the site.
In addition, Freedom Plaza has committed to instituting a Transportation Monitoring Plan that will track conditions in coordination with NYC DOT, hold quarterly stakeholder meetings, and implement solutions as needed.
“Rooted in the Spirit of Aquai — welcoming, cooperation, mutual respect, and building relationships — these expanded commitments advance our shared vision for creating a vibrant and inclusive development,” said Ray Pineault, CEO of Mohegan. “Together with Soloviev Group, we’re proud to help deliver much-needed housing, alongside world-class hospitality, thoughtfully planned traffic solutions, and public spaces that will enrich Manhattan’s East Side.”
Soloviev Group and Mohegan are mission-driven organizations focused on job creation, supporting local vendors, stimulating both local and state economic growth, and funding infrastructure improvements.
Most recently, more than 3,000 individuals have already submitted comments to the Community Advisory Committee advocating for Freedom Plaza, joining the 10,000 Manhattan residents and 250 local small businesses who previously signed a petition supporting the proposal. A September 2025 poll conducted by Tulchin Research pollconfirms this local momentum, finding thatnearly two-thirds of Manhattan voters support the project and 58 percent of voters in Midtown East specifically in favor.
