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550 West 38 Street zoning and development potential

550 West 38 Street, Manhattan 10018 is a 4,937 square foot lot zoned C6-4. RunEnvelope’s engine finds an as-of-right scheme with homes of 59,244 sf (UAP (City of Yes)), against 10,000 sf built on the lot today.

The lot

BBL
1-00709-0066
Block / lot
709 / 66
Community district
Manhattan Community District 4
Zoning
C6-4
Lot area
4,937 sf
Frontage x depth
50 ft x 99 ft
Lot type
Inside
Current use
Commercial and office
Built today
10,000 sf, 2 floors
Year built
1920
Built FAR
2.03

Permitted floor area against what is built

Built on the lot today10,000 sf
Largest scheme with homes: UAP (City of Yes)59,244 sf

That leaves 49,244 sf more floor area than stands here now, if the existing building were replaced. The largest scheme with homes and no affordability obligation holds 49,370 sf (Max Residential (Sky Exposure Plane)).

City Planning’s PLUTO file lists a residential FAR of 10.00 for this lot, which at 4,937 sf of land is 49,370 sf. The engine’s largest residential-only scheme without an affordability obligation (Max Residential (Sky Exposure Plane)) holds 49,370 sf, close to that simple multiplication.

  • Narrow street frontage
  • E-designation on the lot

Development scenarios

The largest 6 as-of-right schemes RunEnvelope’s engine produced for this lot, by zoning floor area. A full study also models the building itself: floor plates, heights, setbacks, unit mix and parking.

SchemeTypeFloor areaFARHomes
UAP (City of Yes)Income-restricted housing59,24412.0066
AIRS Senior Housing (100% Affordable)Income-restricted housing59,24412.0066
Max Residential (Sky Exposure Plane)Housing49,37010.0058
Max CommercialCommercial46,6809.46None
Max ApartmentsHousing35,5467.2074
Commercial OverlayMixed use with homes35,5467.2032

Floor area is zoning floor area in square feet. Highlighted: the largest scheme with homes. Income-restricted schemes (Universal Affordability Preference, AIRS senior housing) require a share or all of the homes to be affordable. Shared housing counts rooms, not apartments. Schemes that need a landmark transfer of development rights, the FRESH food store bonus or a stack of every program are left off this page; the full study shows them.

What these numbers are

As-of-right only: what the Zoning Resolution allows without a variance, special permit or rezoning. Computed by RunEnvelope’s zoning engine on October 23, 2026 from PLUTO 26v2 lot data, in screening mode: the engine uses the City’s recorded lot area and dimensions, not a surveyed lot outline.

This is not a professional opinion, an appraisal or a statement that anything will or should be built here. Existing tenants, leases and the owner’s plans are not part of it.

What a full study checks

  • ■The actual lot outline, street frontages and yards, not PLUTO's recorded dimensions
  • ■Easements, restrictive declarations and zoning lot agreements on record
  • ■Landmark, waterfront and flood rules that apply to the specific building
  • ■Height, setback and floor-by-floor massing, with floor plans
  • ■Unit count, parking and the affordability program terms

Why this lot has a page: we publish pages only for lots that clear a set of data quality and headroom tests.

This is the screening number. Get the study for 550 West 38 Street.

Run the full study