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870 Cypress Avenue zoning and development potential

870 Cypress Avenue, Queens 11385 is a 20,000 square foot lot zoned C4-3A. RunEnvelope’s engine finds an as-of-right scheme with homes of 78,000 sf (UAP (City of Yes)), against 20,040 sf built on the lot today.

The lot

BBL
4-03548-0060
Block / lot
3548 / 60
Community district
Queens Community District 5
Zoning
C4-3A
Lot area
20,000 sf
Frontage x depth
200 ft x 100 ft
Lot type
Inside
Current use
Commercial and office
Built today
20,040 sf, 1 floor
Year built
1958
Built FAR
1.00

Permitted floor area against what is built

Built on the lot today20,040 sf
Largest scheme with homes: UAP (City of Yes)78,000 sf

That leaves 57,960 sf more floor area than stands here now, if the existing building were replaced. The largest scheme with homes and no affordability obligation holds 60,000 sf (Max Apartments).

City Planning’s PLUTO file lists a residential FAR of 3.00 for this lot, which at 20,000 sf of land is 60,000 sf. The engine’s largest residential-only scheme without an affordability obligation (Max Apartments) holds 60,000 sf, close to that simple multiplication.

  • Narrow street frontage

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 housing78,0003.9093
AIRS Senior Housing (100% Affordable)Income-restricted housing78,0003.9093
Max ApartmentsHousing60,0003.0088
Split Lot (2 Buildings)Housing60,0003.0068
Max Residential (Standard Housing) (Parking Waiver: 60 units)Housing60,0003.0060
Commercial OverlayMixed use with homes60,0003.0050

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 870 Cypress Avenue.

Run the full study