81-42 Retail Continuity along Designated Streets

For #buildings developed# or #enlarged# after May 13, 1982, where the ground floor level of such #development# or #enlarged# portion of the #building# fronts upon a designated retail #street# (see Appendix A, Map 3), #uses# within #stories# on the ground floor or with a floor level within five feet of #curb level# shall be limited to retail, personal service or amusement #uses# permitted by the underlying zoning district regulations but not including #uses# in Use Groups 6B, 6E, 7C, 7D, 8C, 8D, 9B, 10B, 11 and 12D or automobile showrooms or plumbing, heating or ventilating equipment showrooms. Museums and libraries shall be permitted. A #building's street# frontage shall be allocated exclusively to such #uses#, except for:

1. lobby space or entrance space;


2. entrance areas to subway station improvements for which bonus #floor area# is granted and #street wall# continuity restrictions waived pursuant to Sections 74-634 (Subway station improvements in Downtown Brooklyn and in Commercial Districts of 10 FAR and above in Manhattan) and 81-292 (Subway station improvements);


3. one or more of the following pedestrian circulation spaces subject to the #street wall# continuity requirements of Section 81-43 (Street Wall Continuity Along Designated Streets):
   
   
   1. relocated subway stairs provided in accordance with Sections 37-40 and 81-46 (Off-street Relocation or Renovation of a Subway Stair);
   
   
   2. through #block# connections provided in accordance with paragraph (h) of Section 37-53 (Design Standards for Pedestrian Circulation Spaces); and
   
   
   3. off-street improvements of access to rail mass transit facilities provided in accordance with Section 81-48 (Off-Street Improvement of Access to Rail Mass Transit Facility).

Except as provided in the following sentence, in no event shall the length of #street# frontage occupied by lobby space, entrance space and/or a #building# entrance recess exceed the lesser of 40 feet or 25 percent of the #building's# total #street# frontage exclusive of any frontage occupied by a relocated subway stair, a through #block# connection, an off-street improvement of access to rail mass transit facility or the entrance area to a bonused subway station improvement. However, the total length of #street# frontage occupied by lobby space and/or entrance space need not be less than 20 feet.

Storefronts for the permitted ground floor #uses# shall be not more than 10 feet from the #street line# or, where an arcade is provided with supporting columns at the #street line#, not more than 10 feet from the supporting columns.

Access to each retail, personal service or amusement establishment required under this Section shall be provided directly from the designated retail #street#. Where more than one entrance is provided to the establishment, direct access from the designated retail #street# shall be provided via the entrance with the greatest aggregate clear opening width. At least 50 percent of the #street wall# surface of each required establishment shall be glazed with clear untinted transparent material and not more than 50 percent of such transparent surface shall be painted or obstructed with #signs#. For the purpose of this glazing requirement, the establishment's #street wall# surface shall be measured from the floor to the height of the ceiling or 14 feet above grade, whichever is less.

Special #use# regulations apply along designated retail #streets# located within the boundaries of the Penn Center Subdistrict, the East Midtown Subdistrict, the Theater Subdistrict or the Fifth Avenue Subdistrict and #uses# along such designated #streets# shall be subject to the respective subdistrict retail requirements in Sections 81-531, 81-674, 81-72 and 81-82.

Special ground level and entertainment-related #use# regulations apply to #zoning lots# located within the Theater Subdistrict Core, as defined in Section 81-71 (General Provisions), and such #zoning lots# shall meet the ground level and entertainment-related #use# requirements of Section 81-72 (Use Regulations Modified).