C6 districts permit a wide range of high-bulk commercial uses requiring a central location. Most C6 districts are in Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn and Downtown Jamaica; a C6-3D district is mapped in the Civic Center area of the Bronx. Corporate headquarters, large hotels, department stores and entertainment facilities in high-rise mixed buildings are permitted in C6 districts.
C6-1, C6-2 and most C6-3 districts, typically mapped in areas outside central business cores, such as the Lower East Side and Chelsea, have a commercial floor area ratio (FAR) of 6.0; the C6-3D district has an FAR of 9.0. C6-4 through C6-9 districts, typically mapped within the city’s major business districts, have a maximum FAR of 10.0 or 15.0, exclusive of any applicable bonus. Floor area may be increased by a bonus for a public plaza or Inclusionary Housing.
C6-2A, C6-3A, C6-3X and C6-4A are contextual districts with maximum building heights. C6-3D and C6-4X districts allow towers above a building base; special rules determine the tower’s height and articulation. All other C6 districts allow towers to penetrate a sky exposure plane and do not require a contextual base.
C6 districts are widely mapped within special districts. C6-4.5, C6-5.5, C6-6.5 and C6-7T districts are mapped only within the Special Midtown District and have unique floor area ratios and bonus rules. C6-1G, C6-2G, C6-2M and C6-4M districts are mapped in Chinatown and Chelsea and in the Special Garment Center District, and have rules for the conversion of non-residential space to residential use.
C6 districts are well served by mass transit, and off-street parking is generally not required, except within the C6-3D district.