The developer may use the easement area until it is needed by the Transit Authority. Parking requirements for affected lots have been reduced and lot coverage has been increased by 10 per cent. The allowable floor area ratio remains unchanged. Design guidelines drawn up by the Second Avenue Subway recommend that easements should be located along the side street frontages in order to encourage the full use of the avenues for retail stores.

Within mapped areas around 13 new subway stations, subway entrances would be located on private property rather than on sidewalks.

VACANCY RATE

2.4 2.8 2.9 4.4 3.5 4.8 1.8 .5 .5 1.0 6.0 14.2 14.8 13.7 12.8 11.6 10.3 7.7 4.4 2.1

ANNUAL CONSTRUCTION AND ABSORPTION OF OFFICE SPACE

Millions of
Square Feet

MANHATTAN OFFICE MARKET 1960-1979

| | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **NEW** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **CONSTRUCTION** | 4.599 | 7.703 | 4.773 | 7.620 | 5.279 | 4.408 | 1.927 | 4.130 | 5.107 | 14.506 |
| **DEMOLITION** | .665 | .770 | 1.014 | .406 | .283 | .143 | .049 | .752 | .483 | 1.710 |
| **TOTAL** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **OFFICE SPACE** | 123.861 | 130.794 | 134.553 | 141.767 | 146.763 | 150.668 | 152.546 | 155.924 | 160.548 | 173.424 |
| **VACANCY** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **RATE** | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 1.8 | .5 | .5 | 1.0 |
| **VACANT** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **SPACE** | 2.973 | 3.662 | 3.902 | 6.230 | 5.137 | 7.232 | 2.746 | .779 | .803 | 1.734 |
| **OCCUPIED** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **SPACE** | 120.888 | 127.132 | 130.651 | 135.529 | 141.626 | 143.436 | 149.800 | 155.145 | 159.745 | 171.690 |
| **ABSORPTION** | 3.888 | 6.244 | 3.519 | 4.878 | 6.097 | 1.810 | 6.364 | 5.345 | 4.600 | 11.945 |

| | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **NEW** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **CONSTRUCTION** | 9.158 | 13.576 | 19.392 | 5.133 | 4.365 | 2.860 | .520 | 1.730 | .434 | .110 |
| **DEMOLITION** | .280 | .214 | .112 | .175 | .554 | .082 | | | | |
| **TOTAL** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **OFFICE SPACE** | 182.302 | 195.664 | 214.944 | 219.902 | 223.713 | 226.491 | 227.011 | 228.741 | 229.175 | 229.285 |
| **VACANCY** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **RATE** | 6.0 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 13.7 | 12.8 | 11.6 | 10.3 | 7.7 | 4.4 |
| **VACANT** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **SPACE** | 10.977 | 27.784 | 31.790 | 30.120 | 28.610 | 26.261 | 23.304 | 17.525 | 10.084 | |
| **OCCUPIED** | | | | | | | | | | |
| **SPACE** | 171.325 | 167.880 | 183.154 | 189.782 | 195.103 | 200.230 | 203.707 | 211.216 | 219.091 | |
| **ABSORPTION** | -.365 | -3.445 | 15.274 | 6.628 | 5.321 | 5.127 | 3.477 | 7.509 | 7.875 | 6.4 |

All figures in million sq. ft.

For the better part of two decades—the 1950's and
1960's—new office construction had remained strong

## Bonusable Amenities

### Urban Plazas

A Plaza can provide an attractive, quiet, landscaped seating area. In the past, the attempt to make plazas also serve to facilitate pedestrian circulation has resulted in failure to accomplish either purpose very well. Even with recently imposed requirements, urban plazas have sometimes been a means to maximize building size rather than provide a useful public space. The requirements for a plaza bonus have been simplified and emphasize passive recreation. The bonus has been reduced to six square feet of floor area for each square foot of plaza up to a maximum of one FAR.

An Urban Plaza may be either an open area or a glass-enclosed area which fronts upon a street and is accessible to the public at all times.

### Requirements

An Urban Plaza must have a minimum area of 1600 square feet and a minimum dimension of not less than 40 feet for at least 70 percent of the required area. If the Urban Plaza is glass-enclosed a minimum of at least 75 percent of street walls and 75 percent of the roof area must be clear, untinted, uncoated glass. The minimum clear height must be at least 30 feet. An Urban Plaza must have a southern exposure and the major portion of an Urban Plaza must have a ratio of frontage along the street line to depth or depth to frontage of at least 3:1.

### Access

An open Urban Plaza shall be accessible to the public through at least 50 percent of the frontage along a public sidewalk at all times. A glass-enclosed Urban Plaza or an Urban Plaza meeting all the requirements of the Urban Park must be accessible to the public from at least 25 percent of the frontage along a public sidewalk and must be open to the public during daylight hours with the exception of certain holidays. Standards for access to the handicapped will remain the same as under the current Urban Open Space legislation.

The maximum area of permitted obstruction will be 38 percent for an Urban Plaza of under 5,000 square feet; 40 percent for an Urban Plaza between 5,000 square feet and 10,000 square feet; and 50 percent for an Urban Plaza larger than 10,000 square feet. An open air cafe and kiosk can occupy 25 percent of an Urban Plaza area without a Special Permit. Four trees are required for Urban Plazas between 1600 square feet and 5,000 square feet; and six trees for Urban Plazas above 5,000 square feet. There is a public seating requirement of one linear foot of seating for each 30 square feet of Urban Plaza area. Each moveable seat is equivalent to 1.5 linear feet of required seating.

## Bonusable Amenities

### Urban Plazas

### Requirements

### Access

BONUSABLE AMENITIES

Maintenance

A maintenance plan requirement, a plaque and a
performance bond are required for an Urban Park
or Plaza.

Existing Plazas

Existing plazas that meet tree planting, public seating, maintenance, access, and retail continuity requirements may have as an allowable obstruction an open air cafe and kiosk occupying up to 25 percent of the Urban Plaza by Certification by the City Planning Commission. Existing plazas that cannot meet area or orientation requirements can be modified by Special Permit.

Bonus

An Urban Plaza will receive a bonus of six square feet of floor area for each qualifying square foot of bonus area. The maximum amount of bonus that can be generated by an Urban Plaza is 1 FAR. This bonus must be certified for compliance with requirements.

Urban Park

An Urban Park is a landscaped "vest pocket" park designed for passive recreation, with trees, landscaping and moveable seating accessible to the public during daylight hours. This bonusable amenity is based on the successful Paley and Greenacre Parks. A Special Permit will be required.

Requirements for Special Permit

An Urban Park must be located on a narrow street at least 100 feet from a wide street within a 1,000 foot radius of the receiving site. In addition, it must be at least 4,000 square feet in area, at least 40 feet wide and at least 60 feet deep. Sixty percent of the area must be accessible to the handicapped. The Urban Park must be open and accessible to the public during daylight hours with the exception of certain legal holidays. A maintenance plan and performance bond for permanent maintenance are also required.

Development Rights Transfer

The maximum amount of floor area transferable to a receiving lot is a function of the area of the Urban Park and the allowable base FAR of the zoning district in which it is located, subject to a maximum of 20 percent of the allowable base FAR on the site being developed.

53