The Fifth Avenue area has been zoned M-1 Light Manufacturing since 1955. No residential structures have been built since 1955 and all existing residential structures are nonconforming.

The city of New Rochelle has adopted Master Plans/Studies in 1965, 1966, 1977, 1989, and 1996.

1965 identified about 130 acres of industrial use, mostly along Metro North and New England Thruway rights-of-way. The study noted that industrial construction had been infill of small plots. They recommended the city conserve large tracts of land for major industry with many jobs and higher tax base. Also, they recommended "total elimination of slums and blight."

1966 was a follow-up to the 1965 study. It gave vague guidelines to evaluate neighborhood deficiencies. It identified issues of concern for Neighborhood 7 (which encompassed the current study area): new industry was too small, the street pattern was inadequate for industrial use, physical blight was becoming apparent, and the community needed to encourage development in accordance with established goals.

1977 cited economic viability as its goal. That meant expanding New Rochelle's tax base, especially in vacant or underutilized commercial space. The area near City Park was identified as one of nine underutilized and developable sites.

1989 catalogued land uses in the 5th Ave area. Each parcel was reviewed and deficiencies were noted as slight, intermediate, or critical. 50% of the properties were assigned a "critical" label, 14% were "intermediate," and only 35% were "economically viable." Because the viable properties were not contiguous, the study recommended relocating them and assembling large tracts of land for significant industrial development. The plan outlined initial steps toward declaring an Fifth Avenue area, including preparation of an EIS and determining acquisition costs.

1996 renewed New Rochelle's commitment to industrial development. It identified property along 5th Ave (and other areas) as having "redevelopment potential because of blighting influences. It recommended that underutilized parcels be combined to create large redevelopment sites.