Residence Districts: R9 - R9A - R9D - R9X

 Upper West Side, Manhattan

R9 districts, which are mapped along several major thoroughfares in Manhattan, such as West 96th Street, new buildings can be developed under height factor regulations or the optional Quality Housing regulations as in R6 through R8 districts. The optional Quality Housing regulations in R9 districts are the same as the R9A regulations. Designed in part for institutional purposes (mainly hospitals), most R9 height factor buildings are developed pursuant to the tower rules, which are applicable only in the city’s higher-density areas, and commercial districts with an R9 residential district equivalent (C1‑8, C2-7 and C6-3).

R9 Regulations

R9 Height Factor/Tower Regulations

The floor area ratio (FAR) for height ­factor/tower buildings ranges from 0.99 to 7.52 and the open space ratio (OSR) from 1.0 to 9.0. As in other height factor districts, a taller building can usually be developed by providing more open space. Under the tower rules, however, buildings on both wide and narrow streets are permitted to penetrate the sky exposure plane. In the diagram, for example, buildings that front on a wide street must have a contextual street wall of 60 to 85 feet with a tower above (tower-on-a-base). The height of the tower is controlled by a minimum lot coverage requirement and a rule that at least 55% of the floor area on the zoning lot be located below a height of 150 feet. For buildings with only narrow street frontage, a contextual base is not required and towers are permitted, provided they are set back from the street line at least 15 feet.

Higher maximum FAR are available for buildings participating in the Inclusionary Housing Program or that provide certain senior facilities.

Off-street parking is generally required for 40 percent of a building’s dwelling units, but requirements are lower for income-restricted housing units (IRHU) and are further modified in certain areas, such as within the Transit Zone and the Manhattan Core, or for lots less than 15,000 square feet. Off-street parking requirements can be waived if 15 or fewer parking spaces are required or if the zoning lot is 10,000 square feet or less.

Tribeca, Manhattan

The contextual Quality Housing regulations, mandatory in R9A districts, typically result in high lot coverage, 14- to 15-story buildings set at or near the street line. Typical R9A buildings can be found in higher density Manhattan neighborhoods such as Chelsea and Tribeca. Often mapped as C1-8A or C2-7A commercial districts, which have an R9A ­ residential district equivalent, these districts usually have apartments above one or two floors of retail and office uses.

The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) in R9A districts is 7.52, the same as in R9 districts. On wide streets, the base height is 60 to 105 feet with a maximum building height of 145 feet. On narrow streets, the base height is 60 to 95 feet with a maximum building height of 135 feet. The street wall of a new building on a wide street must extend along the entire width of the zoning lot and at least 70% of the street wall must be within eight feet of the street line on a narrow street.

Higher maximum FAR and heights are available for buildings participating in the Inclusionary Housing Program or that provide certain senior facilities.

The area between a building’s street wall and the street line must be planted and the building must have interior amenities for residents pursuant to the Quality Housing Program..

Off-street parking is generally required for 40 percent of a building’s dwelling units, but requirements are lower for income-restricted housing units (IRHU) and are further modified in certain areas, such as within the Transit Zone and the Manhattan Core, or for lots less than 15,000 square feet. Off-street parking requirements can be waived if 15 or fewer parking spaces are required or if the zoning lot is 10,000 square feet or less.

R9A Regulations

Created to accommodate towers facing elevated rail lines, R9D districts produce tall buildings set back from the street line to minimize train noise for occupants of the buildings and maximize light and air for pedestrians at street level. Portions of the River Avenue corridor around 161st Street in the Bronx are mapped C6-3D which has an R9D residential district equivalent.

The tower portion of the building must be set back at least 20 feet from the street line when facing an elevated rail line. In C6-3D districts, the tower must rise above a low base set at the street line that is between 0 and 25 feet high. A setback is not required when a building wall is within 70 feet of a street intersection.

The floor area ratio (FAR) is 9.0. There is no maximum building height in an R9D district but special rules control the width of towers and ensure articulated tower tops for the highest four stories or that portion of the building above 165 feet, whichever is less.

In C6-3D districts or when a commercial overlay is mapped in an R9D district, the ground floor of a building must be reserved for retail and service usesin order to maintain a lively streetscape. Sidewalks adjacent to wide streets, or elevated rail lines must have a minimum depth of 20 feet.

Higher maximum FAR are available for buildings participating in the Inclusionary Housing Program or that provide certain senior facilities.

Buildings must have interior amenities for residents pursuant to the Quality Housing Program.

Off-street parking is generally required for 40 percent of a building’s dwelling units, but requirements are lower for income-restricted housing units (IRHU) and are further modified in certain areas, such as within the Transit Zone and the Manhattan Core, or for lots less than 15,000 square feet. Off-street parking requirements can be waived if 15 or fewer parking spaces are required or if the zoning lot is 10,000 square feet or less.

R9D Regulations

R9X contextual districts (and C1-8X, C2-7X and C6-3X districts with an R9Xresidential district equivalent), mapped only in Manhattan, are governed by Quality Housing regulations. With a floor area ratio (FAR) and height limit substantially higher than other R9 districts, R9X regulations produce the taller, bulkier 16- to 18-story apartment buildings characteristic of Chelsea and Murray Hill in Manhattan.

The FAR in R9X districts is 9.0. On a wide street, the base height of a new building must be 105 to 120 feet with a 10 foot setback before rising to a maximum height of 170 feet. On a wide street, the street wall must extend along the entire width of the zoning lot and at least 70% of the street wall must be within eight feet of the street line.. On a narrow street, the base height must be 60 to 120 feet with a 15‑foot setback before rising to a maximum height of 160 feet. If providing a qualifying ground floor on a narrow street,, the maximum base height is 125 feet, and the maximum height is 165 feet. On a wide street, the maximum base height becomes 125 feet, and the maximum height is 175 feet.

Higher maximum FAR and heights are available for buildings participating in the Inclusionary Housing Program or that provide certain senior facilities.

Off-street parking is generally required for 40 percent of a building’s dwelling units, but requirements are lower for income-restricted housing units (IRHU) and are further modified in certain areas, such as within the Transit Zone and the Manhattan Core, or for lots less than 15,000 square feet. Off-street parking requirements can be waived if 15 or fewer parking spaces are required or if the zoning lot is 10,000 square feet or less.

R9X Regulations