The City Planning Commission approved a rezoning today of 125th Street in Harlem by a vote of 11 to 2.

The plan, which must still be approved by the City Council, was opposed by several civic groups that were concerned that the rezoning might displace residents and small business. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer on Sunday recommended a rejection of the rezoning in favor of a Harlem-wide development plan that would develop city-owned land for "income-targeted" housing and a plan to save local businesses that could be displaced by new development.

"Today is a major milestone in moving this extremely significant initiative forward towards final adoption," declared Amanda M. Burden, the chair of the commission. "This rezoning will reinforce the 125th Street Corridor as an important regional business district and bolster its historic role as an arts, entertainment and retail corridor," she said.

"This comprehensive planning effort," she continued, "has been carefully crafted to maintain and enhance 125th Street's unique and varied character, and its identity as Harlem's Main Street. It will establish, for the first time, height limits and an urban design framework to guide future development on this world renowned street, it will preserve many of Harlem's extraordinary brownstone blocks and help build on the historic strengths of this corridor and its community. It will encourage mixed use development, catalyzing the production of commercial, office, retail, residential, arts and entertainment uses to enliven the street during the day and in the evening."

She emphasized that "very importantly, for the first time in Upper Manhattan, it will utilize the Inclusionary Housing program and create opportunities for income targeted housing," adding that "The proposed zoning contains a number of innovative and special provisions that will strengthen arts, culture and entertainment and promote a vibrant retail and pedestrian environment."

"The proposed Arts Bonus - a first for the city - will incentivize the creation of not-for-profit visual and performing arts space as well as rehearsal space. Coupled with a requirement for entertainment related uses, this rezoning will result in a wider variety of retail and arts and entertainment offerings creating an economic engine for the city, with thousands of jobs and an even greater appeal as a significant cultural destination," she maintained.

The commission and the planning department held more than 170 meetings about the rezoning and the department recommend several modifications including one to "reduce the potential residential presence on the corridor by prohibiting residential lobbies on 125th Street in the Core area, in those cases where a development also has frontage on the Avenues or Boulevard or on 126th or 124th streets."

The rezoning calls for building heights of 120 to 290 feet along 125th Street, but the Department of Planning last week recommended allowing the Harlem Park project on Park Avenue and 125th Street, which is being developed by a Vornado-led team, to reach 330 feet. Vornado argued that if an exception was not made, it might affect the plans of the Major League Baseball television network to become the anchor tenant.