C1-7A Zoning District — New York City
C1-7A is a contextual, low-density Local Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City.
C1-7A is a contextual, low-density Local Commercial District (NYC Zoning Resolution § 11-122) in New York City. It allows commercial uses, and generally also housing under the rules of a residential-equivalent district. As of right, the maximum residential FAR is 6.02 and the maximum commercial FAR is 2. 100 tax lots citywide carry C1-7A as their primary zoning designation.
Records for lots carrying this designation show an unusually wide recorded development gap: 94% of these roughly 100 lots record floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 2.5 FAR — among the widest headroom figures any designation in the file carries. Mixed residential-and-commercial use covers 66% of the land, walk-up apartment buildings lead the building classes at 31%, and the file counts 1,652 homes, a light density for a hundred lots.
What actually stands in this district
Development headroom is the standout figure on lots carrying this designation: 94% of these roughly 100 lots record floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 2.5 FAR — one of the widest recorded gaps any designation in the file shows. That share sits well above what most comparable designations carry, describing a stock that, on paper, has built out only a fraction of what its lots could otherwise hold under current rules. That degree of unused capacity stands out even against the generally wide margins this batch of designations tends to show, and alone would place this designation near the top of the batch on that measure before any other figure is even considered.
Mixed residential-and-commercial use dominates the land-use file here, covering 66% of lots, with commercial-and-office use adding 9% and multi-family walk-up use 8%. The recorded building classes lead with walk-up apartment buildings at 31% and mixed residential-and-commercial buildings at 27%. Despite that commercial layer, 79% of lots are still coded residential, though the file counts only 1,652 homes across the designation — a comparatively light density for a hundred-lot footprint, especially set against the wide recorded headroom described above. That imbalance between a wide land-use share and a comparatively small recorded population is one of the more distinctive combinations in this batch.
The construction record is substantially prewar: a median year of 1910, with 82% of buildings predating 1940. The postwar boom left little mark, at 5% of the stock, while 10% of buildings have gone up since 2000 — a modest but real share of recent construction on top of an old core that otherwise dominates the timeline. Even so, that recent trickle keeps pace with what several other, more thoroughly residential designations in this batch record for the same period.
Lots run modest to mid-size, with a median of 2,467 square feet and the 90th percentile reaching 12,377 square feet — a wide spread that points to a handful of substantially larger parcels among the mostly smaller lots. That same variability in scale echoes the light-density pattern already visible in the unit count above. None of these lots, 0%, carry historic-district status, and 4% sit inside the mapped federal flood zone. Buildings rise to a median of 5 stories, with 14% recorded above 6 floors. Individual lots carry their own version of every figure above; what the zoning actually permits, cited section by section, is laid out in the rules tables above this prose.
Bulk rules for C1-7A
| Context | Residential FAR | Commercial FAR | Community facility FAR | Max lot coverage | Heights | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of rightResidential bulk = the R8A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R8A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C1-7; C1-7A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 6.5 per § 33-123 (= R8A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated. | 6.02 | 2 | 6.5 | 80% | Base 60–95 ft · Max 125 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-7A→R8A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432, § 23-431 |
| Qualifying affordable housingResidential bulk = the R8A residential equivalent per § 34-112 (node 18312); FAR/height/base/yards mirror R8A. max_commercial_far = 2.0 per § 33-122 (node 17723) via § 11-25 (base C1-7; C1-7A is not separately listed, so it follows the base). max_community_facility_far = 6.5 per § 33-123 (= R8A residential-equivalent CF). All three FAR columns now populated. | 7.2 | 2 | 6.5 | 80% | Base 60–105 ft · Max 145 ft | NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-7A→R8A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432, § 23-431 |
Values from the NYC Zoning Resolution, verified 2026-06-12; site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify them — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
About commercial districts
Commercial districts allow retail, office, and service uses, and most also allow housing under the rules of a residential-equivalent district. Commercial bulk is governed by § 33- of the NYC Zoning Resolution.
Contextual districts pair their floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights so new buildings mirror existing neighborhood form; non-contextual districts govern the envelope through more general height and setback rules, such as sky exposure planes. Commercial districts also allow residences under the rules of a residential-equivalent district, while manufacturing districts generally exclude new residences. Overlays and special purpose districts can modify any of this on a specific lot.
Example lots zoned C1-7A
- 400 West 12 Street — 32,212 sq ft lot, 5.11 built FAR, built 2007
- 400 West 37 Street — 20,775 sq ft lot, 10.33 built FAR, built 2002
- 511 9 Avenue — 14,808 sq ft lot, 9.74 built FAR, built 2008
- 100 Jane Street — 17,635 sq ft lot, 7.01 built FAR, built 1996
- 756 Washington Street — 12,377 sq ft lot, 6.18 built FAR, built 2003
- 495 West Street — 5,414 sq ft lot, 5.56 built FAR, built 1998
- 404 East 14 Street — 5,782 sq ft lot, 4.64 built FAR, built 1920
- 249 1 Avenue — 10,531 sq ft lot, 0.98 built FAR, built 1950
- 450 9 Avenue — 19,760 sq ft lot, 2.78 built FAR, built 1910
- 224 1 Avenue — 12,821 sq ft lot, 2.47 built FAR, built 1911
- 502 9 Avenue — 4,950 sq ft lot, 5.66 built FAR, built 2005
- 128 Jane Street — 8,736 sq ft lot, 5.82 built FAR, built 1930
C1-7A — quick questions
- What is the maximum residential FAR in C1-7A?
- 6.02, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-7A→R8A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432, § 23-431. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- What is the maximum commercial FAR in C1-7A?
- 2, as of right, per NYC Zoning Resolution § 34-112 (C1-7A→R8A); § 33-122 (comm FAR); § 33-123 (CF FAR); § 23-22, § 23-432, § 23-431. Site-specific overlays, special districts, and waterfront rules can modify it — run a full lookup for a specific lot.
- Is C1-7A a contextual district?
- Yes. C1-7A is a contextual district — its bulk rules pair floor-area ceilings with prescribed base and maximum building heights intended to mirror existing neighborhood form.
- How much unused capacity does this designation record?
- An unusually wide amount: 94% of these roughly 100 lots record floor area below their allowance, with a median residual of 2.5 FAR.
- What kind of land use dominates this designation?
- Mixed residential-and-commercial use, covering 66% of lots — well ahead of commercial-and-office use at 9% and multi-family walk-up use at 8%.
- How old is the building stock under this designation?
- Mostly prewar: a median year of 1910, with 82% of buildings predating 1940 and 10% recorded since 2000.
- How many homes are recorded under this designation?
- 1,652, across roughly 100 lots — a comparatively light density given how much of the land is coded residential, at 79%.
- What do the records show for flood risk and historic status here?
- Neither is prominent: 4% of lots sit inside the mapped flood zone, and 0% carry historic-district status.
Keep learning
What do the C1-7A rules mean for a specific lot?
PearlAudit resolves the governing zoning for any NYC tax lot — district, overlays, special districts — and cites the Zoning Resolution section behind every rule claim.
District data: NYC municipal records (Department of City Planning) and the NYC Zoning Resolution. See our sources and methodology. Parcel data as of 2026-07-11.