The leftovers ledger
The land between the sites
Two lists nobody publishes: City-owned lots too small, narrow or landlocked to build on alone, with the neighbors they could join; and the floor area the zoning allows but City-owned facilities don't use.
Orphan lots
City-owned lots under 1,700 sq ft or 18 ft of frontage, or with no street frontage. Parkland is excluded.
- Orphan lots
- 1,717
- Their combined area
- 1,817,047 sq ft
- Next to vacant or parking City land
- 417
- Could be combined by the City alone
6 rows hand-checked against ZoLa and the tax map (marked “Checked”).
| Tax lot | Borough | Agency | District | Lot area, sq ft | Frontage, ft | Why | City neighbors | City + City area, sq ft | Floor area together, sq ft | Private neighbors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-00064-0106LIBERTY PLACE | Manhattan | NYCTA | C5-5Special district | 66 | 3.5 | Small, Narrow, Alley lot | 0 | — | — | 2 |
| 1-00096-0008205 FRONT STREET | Manhattan | EDC | C6-2ASpecial district | 1,455 | 20.1 | Small | 1 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-00096-0013FRONT STREET | Manhattan | EDC | C6-2ASpecial district | 1,145 | 49.3 | Small | 2 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-00097-0007109 SOUTH STREET | Manhattan | EDC | C6-2ASpecial district | 1,290 | 16.7 | Small, Narrow | 0 | — | — | 3 |
| 1-00111-015078 CATHERINE STREET | Manhattan | DHS | R7-2 | 39,875 | 191.1 | No frontage | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| 1-00190-00477 NORTH MOORE STREET | Manhattan | SANIT | C6-2ASpecial district | 1,406 | 18.8 | Small | 0 | — | — | 3 |
| 1-00275-0002Checked127 MADISON STREET | Manhattan | DOT | R7-2 | 116 | 8.7 | Small, Narrow, Alley lot | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| 1-00282-0004HENRY STREET | Manhattan | DOT | C6-1G | 26 | 13.8 | Small, Narrow | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| 1-00282-003485 EAST BROADWAY | Manhattan | DOT | C6-1G | 54 | 5.6 | Small, Narrow, Alley lot | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| 1-00323-0101DELANCEY STREET | Manhattan | DCAS | R7-2 | 66 | 66.8 | Small | 0 | — | — | 1 |
| 1-00422-0065ELDRIDGE STREET | Manhattan | EDUC | C4-4A | 980 | 18.5 | Small | 1 | 10,073 | 40,292–50,466 | 1 |
| 1-00479-0050BROOME STREET | Manhattan | DCAS | C6-2GSpecial district | 55 | 0.5 | Small, Narrow, Alley lot | 0 | — | — | 2 |
| 1-00535-003313 WEST 3 STREET | Manhattan | DOT | R7-2 | 2,090 | 10 | Narrow, Alley lot | 0 | — | — | 2 |
| 1-00722-0074258 10 AVENUE | Manhattan | HPD | R7B | 1,146 | 19.8 | Small | 0 | — | — | 2 |
| 1-00724-0082303 9 AVENUE | Manhattan | HLTH | R8 | 7,950 | 75 | No frontage | 1 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-00731-0164WEST 34 STREET | Manhattan | DCAS | C6-4Special district | 25 | 0.3 | Small, Narrow, Alley lot | 0 | — | — | 2 |
| 1-00962-0098500 EAST 30 STREET | Manhattan | HHC | C6-2 | 30,000 | 154 | No frontage | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| 1-01014-0020215 WEST 42 STREET | Manhattan | EDC | C6-7Special district | 10,401 | 105 | No frontage | 2 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01218-0010169 WEST 87 STREET | Manhattan | EDUC | R7-2 | 1,711 | 17 | Narrow | 0 | — | — | 2 |
| 1-01365-0060EAST 54 STREET | Manhattan | DSBS | R10 | 1,275 | 297.6 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01372-0047SUTTON SQUARE | Manhattan | DSBS | R8B | 60 | 60.3 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01372-0050RIVERVIEW TERRACE | Manhattan | DCAS | R8B | 425 | 16.7 | Small, Narrow | 2 | — | — | 1 |
| 1-01372-0051RIVERVIEW TERRACE | Manhattan | DCAS | R8B | 500 | 16.7 | Small, Narrow | 2 | — | — | 1 |
| 1-01372-0088EAST 59 STREET | Manhattan | DSBS | R10 | 60 | 30.1 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01474-0001EAST 59 STREET | Manhattan | DSBS | M3-2 | 900 | 30 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01482-0060FDR DRIVE | Manhattan | DSBS | R9 | 261 | 261.8 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01483-0060FDR DRIVE | Manhattan | DSBS | R9 | 285 | 285.4 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01487-0060FDR DRIVE | Manhattan | DOT | R10 | 264 | 264.4 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01488-0060FDR DRIVE | Manhattan | DSBS | R8B | 530 | 530.3 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01590-0055EAST 84 STREET | Manhattan | DCAS | R10A | 504 | 3 | Small, Narrow, Alley lot | 0 | — | — | 1 |
| 1-01590-0060F D R DRIVE | Manhattan | DSBS | R10A | 143 | 142.7 | Small | 1 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01590-0061EAST 84 STREET | Manhattan | DSBS | R10A | 334 | 333.9 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01629-00591612 LEXINGTON AVENUE | Manhattan | HPD | R7-2 | 1,350 | 18 | Small | 0 | — | — | 2 |
| 1-01635-0043174 EAST 108 STREET | Manhattan | HPD | R7A | 1,716 | 17 | Narrow | 0 | — | — | 3 |
| 1-01660-0029EAST 111 STREET | Manhattan | DCAS | R9ASpecial district | 75 | 1 | Small, Narrow, Alley lot | 1 | — | — | 3 |
| 1-01754-00682 EAST 130 STREET | Manhattan | HPD | R7B | 1,665 | 16.7 | Small, Narrow | 0 | — | — | 7 |
| 1-01768-0003PARK AVENUE | Manhattan | DCAS | R10Special district | 90 | 1.2 | Small, Narrow, Alley lot | 0 | — | — | 2 |
| 1-01772-0158132 EAST 124 STREET | Manhattan | DCAS | R7DSpecial district | 1,217 | 16.7 | Small, Narrow | 0 | — | — | 3 |
| 1-01788-01013 AVENUE | Manhattan | DCAS | R7B | 2 | 5 | Small, Narrow, Alley lot | 0 | — | — | 2 |
| 1-01788-01043 AVENUE | Manhattan | DCAS | R7B | 2,184 | 12.6 | Narrow, No frontage | 0 | — | — | 4 |
| 1-01803-00602551 1 AVENUE | Manhattan | DSBS | M2-2 | 812 | 812 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01808-0028FDR DRIVE | Manhattan | DSBS | 588 | 588.4 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 | |
| 1-01813-0040500 EAST 125 STREET | Manhattan | DSBS | M2-2 | 855 | 855 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01815-0025FDR DRIVE | Manhattan | DSBS | M2-2 | 263 | 263.3 | Small | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 1-01847-0013WEST 112 STREET | Manhattan | HPD | R7A | 1,682 | 16.7 | Small, Narrow | 0 | — | — | 3 |
| 1-01911-0026109 WEST 126 STREET | Manhattan | HPD | R7-2 | 1,782 | 17.8 | Narrow | 0 | — | — | 3 |
| 1-01914-0022WEST 129 STREET | Manhattan | DCAS | R7-2 | 1,249 | 12.5 | Small, Narrow | 0 | — | — | 3 |
| 1-01914-0040WEST 130 STREET | Manhattan | DCAS | R7-2 | 1,665 | 16.7 | Small, Narrow | 0 | — | — | 3 |
| 1-01918-0027WEST 133 STREET | Manhattan | FIRE | R7-2 | 1,665 | 16.7 | Small, Narrow | 1 | 3,330 | 11,455–16,683 | 4 |
| 1-01918-0126WEST 133 STREET | Manhattan | FIRE | R7-2 | 1,665 | 16.7 | Small, Narrow | 2 | 3,330 | 11,455–16,683 | 2 |
City + private neighbors are shown for context only; that land is not available. Floor area together is the combined lot area times the maximum residential FAR of each lot's district, from standard to affordability-linked.
Unused floor area on City-owned facilities
Offices, schools, libraries, cultural, public safety, health and service facilities: (maximum FAR − built FAR) × lot area.
- Facilities with unused floor area
- 1,457
- Unused floor area, all together
- 134,215,704–150,402,974 sq ft
- Low end: standard residential or community facility maximum; high end: affordability-linked
4 rows hand-checked (marked “Checked”).
| Facility | Borough | Use | District | Lot area, sq ft | Built FAR | Max FAR | Unused floor area, sq ft | Landmarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIER A / MARINE UNIT #11-00016-0001 · DOT | Manhattan | Maintenance, storage and infrastructure | C6-4Special district | 83,100 | 0.35 | 10.00–12.00 | 801,915–968,115 | Landmark |
| QUEENSBORO BRIDGE4-00477-0007 · DOT | Queens | Office | M1-5/R10Special district | 85,000 | 1.00 | 10.00–12.00 | 765,000–935,000 | Landmark |
| PS 137M AND PS 184M1-00245-0007 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | C6-4 | 84,902 | 1.08 | 10.00–12.00 | 757,326–927,130 | |
| BROOKLYN BATTERY TUNNEL GARAGE1-00017-0045 · TBTA | Manhattan | Maintenance, storage and infrastructure | C6-9Special district | 67,342 | 1.66 | 15.00 | 898,342 | |
| PS 199 AND PLAYGROUND (JOP)1-01158-0040 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R8 | 99,800 | 0.84 | 6.50–8.64 | 564,868–778,440 | |
| PS 8 AND MINI SCHOOL2-03299-0060 · EDUC | Bronx | Educational | R8 | 92,000 | 0.66 | 6.50–8.64 | 537,280–734,160 | |
| ADAMS ST. EDUCATIONAL CAMPUS3-00140-0010 · EDUC | Brooklyn | Educational | C5-4Special district | 71,886 | 1.97 | 10.00–12.00 | 577,245–721,017 | |
| PS 111 AND PLAYGROUND1-01062-0003 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R8Special district | 79,832 | 0.95 | 6.50–8.64 | 443,068–613,908 | |
| JAMAICA CENTER SITE I4-10100-0001 · MTA | Queens | Maintenance, storage and infrastructure | C6-4Special district | 83,000 | 4.82 | 10.00–12.00 | 429,940–595,940 | |
| PARK AVENUE ARMORY1-01401-0001 · DHS | Manhattan | Health and social service | R8B / R10 / R9XSpecial district | 81,336 | 1.04 | 6.74–8.08 | 463,390–572,986 | Landmark |
| PS 46 AND MINI-SCHOOL1-02106-0050 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 96,676 | 0.95 | 6.50 | 536,552 | |
| LI CITY BRANCH LIBRARY4-00363-0001 · QPL | Queens | Library | M1-3 | 95,000 | 0.86 | 6.50 | 535,800 | |
| DOE SCHOOL SAFETY PARKING LOT4-00267-0025 · EDUC | Queens | Maintenance, storage and infrastructure | M1-5/R9Special district | 49,700 | 0.01 | 10.00 | 496,503 | |
| PS 792-03170-0001 · EDUC | Bronx | Educational | R8 | 68,660 | 1.61 | 6.50–8.64 | 335,747–482,679 | |
| HUNTER COLLEGE ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL1-01506-0021 · CUNY | Manhattan | Educational | R8B / R10Special district | 80,566 | 2.39 | 6.98–8.38 | 370,075–482,600 | Landmark |
| PS 1541-01932-0010 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 88,125 | 1.03 | 6.50 | 482,044 | |
| PS 331-00724-0023 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R8 | 65,600 | 1.30 | 6.50–8.64 | 341,120–481,504 | |
| P.S 481-02167-0029 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | C8-3 / R7-2 | 89,700 | 1.22 | 6.50 | 473,616 | |
| FT WASH ARMORY/TRACK FIELD CTR1-02138-0079 · DHS | Manhattan | Health and social service | R8 | 83,100 | 3.00 | 6.50–8.64 | 290,850–468,684 | |
| P.S. 178 MINISCHOOLL1-02173-0001 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 88,750 | 1.32 | 6.50 | 459,725 | |
| MTA SUBSTATION1-00002-0003 · MTA | Manhattan | Maintenance, storage and infrastructure | C4-6Special district | 38,800 | 0.19 | 10.00–12.00 | 380,628–458,228 | |
| OFFICE BLDG1-00094-0025 · EDUC | Manhattan | Office | C6-4 / R8Special district | 95,255 | 6.88 | 9.62–11.63 | 260,720–452,689 | |
| PS 198 AND JOP (JUDGE SEABURY)1-01524-0023 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R8B / R10 / C2-8 / C1-8X | 61,432 | 1.84 | 7.59–9.11 | 353,104–446,332 | |
| BRIARWOOD FAMILY RESIDENCE4-09662-0020 · DHS | Queens | Health and social service | C4-4 | 90,360 | 1.57 | 6.50 | 445,475 | |
| JHS 1172-02827-0001 · EDUC | Bronx | Educational | R8 | 67,500 | 2.07 | 6.50–8.64 | 299,025–443,475 | |
| LINCOLN CENTER FOR PERF ARTS1-01134-0005 · CULT | Manhattan | Cultural and recreational | C4-7Special district | 58,204 | 4.47 | 10.00–12.00 | 321,868–438,276 | |
| P.S. 2421-01906-0011 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 87,191 | 1.48 | 6.50 | 437,699 | Historic district |
| PS 79 AND PLAYGROUND (JOP)1-01747-0001 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 81,741 | 1.19 | 6.50 | 434,045 | |
| PS 2792-03178-0014 · EDUC | Bronx | Educational | R8 | 61,390 | 1.59 | 6.50–8.64 | 301,425–432,800 | |
| PS 28 PLAYGROUND AND WRIGHT BROTHERS PARK JOINT OPERATED PLAYGROUND1-02107-0026 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 83,675 | 1.33 | 6.50 | 432,600 | |
| P.S 207.(TANDEM M149)1-01601-0001 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 82,750 | 1.29 | 6.50 | 431,128 | |
| QUEENS SUPREME COURT4-09691-0001 · OCA | Queens | Public safety and criminal justice | C6-2Special district | 96,011 | 4.17 | 6.50–8.64 | 223,706–429,169 | Landmark |
| FUTURE BRONX ANIMAL SHELTER2-05141-1085 · HLTH | Bronx | Health and social service | C4-3 | 99,311 | 0.48 | 4.80 | 429,024 | |
| JHS 561-00269-0041 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 93,564 | 1.97 | 6.50 | 423,845 | |
| PS 84 AND PLAYGROUND1-01205-0006 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 82,575 | 1.40 | 6.50 | 421,133 | |
| PS 134 AND MINISCHOOL2-02965-0082 · EDUC | Bronx | Educational | R7-1 | 94,000 | 0.57 | 4.80–5.01 | 397,620–417,360 | |
| PS 301-01776-0020 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 83,929 | 1.55 | 6.50 | 415,449 | |
| PS 21-00273-0001 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 77,175 | 1.12 | 6.50 | 415,202 | |
| PS 1941-02029-0011 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7-2 | 74,986 | 0.99 | 6.50 | 413,173 | |
| Unnamed5-00001-0065 · DSBS | Staten Island | Maintenance, storage and infrastructure | C4-2 / M1-1Special district | 91,157 | 0.03 | 4.55 | 411,622 | |
| ENG 207,LAD 110,BATT 31,DIV 113-00134-0006 · FIRE | Brooklyn | Public safety and criminal justice | C6-4Special district | 38,250 | 1.31 | 10.00–12.00 | 332,393–408,893 | |
| MORRISANIA D AND TC2-02489-0060 · HHC | Bronx | Public safety and criminal justice | R8ASpecial district | 77,188 | 1.91 | 6.50–7.20 | 354,293–408,325 | |
| RAIL CONTROL CENTER FOR TA1-01044-0003 · NYCTA | Manhattan | Maintenance, storage and infrastructure | C6-2Special district | 69,681 | 2.83 | 6.50–8.64 | 255,730–404,847 | |
| JHS 47 (SCHOOL FOR DEAF)1-00904-0024 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | C2-8A / R8B / C1-9A / C1-8ASpecial district | 43,634 | 0.66 | 8.19–9.83 | 328,749–400,249 | |
| PS 288 AND PLAYGROUND JOP)3-07054-0045 · EDUC | Brooklyn | Educational | R6 | 97,471 | 0.70 | 4.80 | 399,631 | |
| PS 148 AND PLAYGROUND (JOP)4-01419-0001 · EDUC | Queens | Educational | R7-1 | 100,000 | 1.02 | 4.80–5.01 | 378,000–399,000 | |
| PS 70 AND MINI SCHOOL2-02793-0028 · EDUC | Bronx | Educational | R8 | 61,750 | 2.20 | 6.50–8.64 | 265,525–397,670 | |
| PS 140 AND PLAYGROUND (JOP)1-00344-0001 · EDUC | Manhattan | Educational | R7A | 94,040 | 0.79 | 4.00–5.01 | 301,868–396,848 | |
| LOST BATTALION HALL REC CTR4-02077-0050 · DEP | Queens | Maintenance, storage and infrastructure | R7-1 | 85,224 | 0.38 | 4.80–5.01 | 376,690–394,587 | |
| PS 5 AND PLAYGROUND JOP2-02642-0001 · EDUC | Bronx | Educational | R7-1 | 93,000 | 0.83 | 4.80–5.01 | 369,210–388,740 |
Rows marked “Special district” use the underlying district's rules; special district rules can change them and are not modeled. Landmark sites may be able to transfer unused floor area to nearby lots under the Zoning Resolution (§ 75-42); that citation is marked unverified until checked for each site. Unused floor area is a zoning figure, not a claim that any facility should add floors or housing.
How these lists are made
- Orphan lots: City-owned (MapPLUTO OwnerType C) lots under 1,700 sq ft, or under 18 ft of frontage, or coded as interior (no street frontage) or alley lots; narrow or landlocked parcels over one acre are excluded (10).
- Adjacent lots share at least 5 ft of tax-lot boundary on the same tax block. A City + City assemblage joins the orphan with adjacent City-owned lots that are vacant or used for parking (MapPLUTO land use 11 or 10) and are not parkland, so it could be pursued by the City alone. City + private assemblages are shown for context only and are not available land.
- Special purpose districts can change floor area limits and are not modeled here; rows in a special district are marked, and their figures use the underlying district's rules.
- Unused floor area: (maximum FAR − built FAR) × lot area for City-owned COLP facilities with a building on a lot of 100,000 sq ft or less (633 larger campuses excluded). The low end uses the higher of the community facility and standard residential maximums; the high end uses the higher of the community facility and affordability-linked residential maximums. Built FAR is DCP's estimate in MapPLUTO.
Sources
Superscript numbers next to figures refer to this list. Select one to see the source.
- MapPLUTO (city-owned lots)Dataset · NYC Department of City Planning · as of September 9, 2026 · retrieved September 23, 2026
- Declared screen: orphan lotDeclared assumption · as of September 23, 2026
- MapPLUTO (lots on blocks with city-owned land)Dataset · NYC Department of City Planning · retrieved September 23, 2026
- Declared rule: lot adjacencyDeclared assumption · as of September 23, 2026
- City Owned and Leased Properties (COLP)Dataset · NYC Department of City Planning · as of June 2, 2026 · retrieved September 23, 2026
- Zoning Resolution rules packZoning Resolution · Public Ground, from the NYC Zoning Resolution
- Declared screen: practical lot sizeDeclared assumption · as of September 23, 2026
1. MapPLUTO (city-owned lots) 26v2
- As of
- September 9, 2026
- Retrieved
- September 23, 2026
2. Declared screen: orphan lot
- Where
- under 1,700 sq ft, under 18 ft frontage, or no street frontage (MapPLUTO LotType 6)
- As of
- September 23, 2026
Basis: PLUTO Data Dictionary, August 2026 (26v2), PDF pp. 31-32, 'LOT TYPE (LotType)'; PLUTO Data Dictionary, August 2026 (26v2), PDF p. 31, 'LOT TYPE (LotType)'; NY General City Law Sec. 36, GCL 36; Zoning Resolution 23-11 / 23-12, ZR 23-12 table; Audit Report on the Development of City-Owned Vacant Lots by HPD (FM14-112A), HPD response, PDF p. 6 (HPD response letter as quoted in the audit report; repeated on PDF p. 9).
3. MapPLUTO (lots on blocks with city-owned land) 26v2
- Retrieved
- September 23, 2026
4. Declared rule: lot adjacency
- Where
- shared boundary ≥ 5 ft (tolerance 0.5 ft)
- As of
- September 23, 2026
Two tax lots are treated as adjacent when their Digital Tax Map polygons share at least 5 feet of boundary, measured with a 0.5-foot tolerance for digitizing noise. A shared corner point is not adjacency. Values are our assumption, chosen so a lot line shared along a typical 20-25 ft frontage or rear line counts and a touching corner does not.
5. City Owned and Leased Properties (COLP) 20260430
- As of
- June 2, 2026
- Retrieved
- September 23, 2026
6. Zoning Resolution rules pack
- Where
- 248 districts, every value cited to a ZR section
ZR text: ZR site home page: "All text changes approved by the city council as of Sep 10, 2026". Every Article II section cited here (21-14, 23-xx, 24-xx, 27-xx) and 62-32x, 74-79, 75-24, 75-42x shows "Last Amended 12/5/2024" (City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, N 240290 ZRY); exceptions among cited sections: 11-122 (8/14/2025, Midtown South Mixed-Use Plan), 11-25 (6/29/1994), 12-10 page (3/26/2026), 62-361 (7/16/2026); no citywide (ZRY) text amendment has been adopted since (Recently Adopted list, 12/5/2024-9/10/2026, contains only site-specific and neighborhood amendments). 12-10 "wide street" last amended 3/26/2026 (Allen Street Mall, N 250307 ZRM - adds Allen Street roadways in Manhattan CD 3).
7. Declared screen: practical lot size
- Where
- frontage 18 ft, depth 40 ft, area 2,000 sq ft
- As of
- September 23, 2026
Basis: Zoning Resolution 23-11 (R1-R5) Lot Area and Lot Width Regulations, ZR 23-11 table, last row; Zoning Resolution 23-12 (R6-R12) Lot Area and Lot Width Regulations, ZR 23-12 table; Zoning Resolution 23-10, ZR 23-10; SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan FEIS, Chapter 1, PDF p. 34 (printed p. 1-29), 'Potential Development Sites'; Zoning Resolution 23-342 Rear yard requirements, ZR 23-342, 'Shallow lots'; CEQR Technical Manual, Chapter 2: Establishing the Analysis Framework, PDF p. 6 (printed p. 2-5), 'Soft Site Criteria'. A screen for practicality, not legality: ZR 23-10 exempts lots existing on 12/5/2024.