Midtown Manhattan is full of tourist attractions like Broadway and Rockefeller Center and where transit hubs Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal deposit commuters heading into offices. But lawmakers and real estate developers say new zoning laws could spur construction of new housing, transforming the commercial area into a residential zone.

The area is home to iconic New York City scenes, like Times Square, Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building.

“This is the front door for the city to the entire world!” said City Councilman Keith Powers, a Democrat representing the east side of Manhattan.

It’s where tourists, commuters and New Yorkers buy tickets to Broadway shows, shop along Fifth Avenue and complain about riding the subway or how much more congestion pricing is hitting

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