NYC Zoning Handbook:
Manufacturing Districts: M1
M1 areas range from the Garment District in Manhattan, with its
multistory lofts, to areas in the other boroughs with low-bulk plants.
The M1 district is often an industrial front yard or a buffer to
adjacent residential or commercial districts. Strict performance
standards are common to all M1 districts. Light industries typically
found in M1 areas include knitting mills, printing plants and wholesale
service facilities. In theory, nearly all industrial uses can locate in
M1 areas if they meet the rigorous performance standards required in the
Zoning Resolution. Retail and office uses are also permitted. Use Group
4 community facilities are allowed in M1 zones by special permit but not
in other manufacturing districts. Parking and loading requirements vary
with district and use, but high density districts (M14 to M1-6) are
exempt from parking requirements. Residential development is generally
not allowed in manufacturing districts.
However, M1 districts with a significant number of residential buildings
may be mapped M1-D. The D suffix indicates that limited new residential
uses are permitted, by City Planning Commission authorization, on sites
that meet specific criteria. The maximum FAR for permitted residential
uses is 1.65. Accessory parking for residences is not required, except
in M1-1D districts.
Under certain criteria, artists may have joint living-work quarters in
lofts in M1-5A and M1-5B districts (mapped in the SoHo/NoHo area of
Lower Manhattan). In M1-5M and M1-6M districts, the conversion of
non-residential floors of a building to dwelling units is permitted,
provided a specified amount of floor area is preserved for certain
categories of manufacturing, industrial and commercial uses. Conversion
to dwellings is also allowed, with various restrictions, in the Special
Lower Manhattan Mixed Use District.
M1: Light manufacturing - high performance
Located adjacent to low density residential areas
M1-1 FAR: 1.0
Parking: required
Older industrial areas
M1-2 FAR: 2.0
Parking: required
Older industrial areas
M1-3 FAR: 5.0
Parking: required
Located mainly in Manhattan CBD
M1-4 FAR: 2.0
Parking: not required
Loft areas located mainly in Manhattan CBD
M1-5 FAR: 5.0
Parking: not required
Loft areas in Mid-Manhattan
M1-6 FAR: 10
Parking: not required