Zoning districts · Article 45

Government Center/Markets District zoning

Government Center/Markets District is governed by Article 45 of the Boston Zoning Code. It has 14 subdistrict types. Below are the height and floor area ratio limits set out in the Article 45 text.

Last verified Oct 2026. All 42 values shown were checked against Article 45 in the Municode Boston Zoning Code (current through Text Amd. No. 503, Sept 14, 2026). Areas are shown on Map 1H; Blackstone Block addresses are for reference only and Map 1H controls. PDA-II to PDA-IV limits are set by each approved Development Plan. In a PDA, street wall height is capped at 90 ft and floors above 90 ft are capped at 22,500 sq ft. The Government Center/Central Artery Area follows Article 49. Heights are in feet. Source: Boston Zoning Code, Article 45.

Subdistricts

Map code	Subdistrict type
Markets Protection Area	Markets Protection Area
Pemberton Square Protection Area	Pemberton Square Protection Area
Saltonstall Protection Area	Saltonstall Protection Area
State House Protection Area	State House Protection Area
Sudbury Street Restricted Growth Area	Sudbury Street Restricted Growth Area
Custom House Medium Density Area	Custom House Medium Density Area
City Hall Medium Density Area	City Hall Medium Density Area
New Chardon Street Medium Density Area	New Chardon Street Medium Density Area
PDA-I	PDA-I
PDA-V	PDA-V
Blackstone Block Protection Area	Blackstone Block Protection Area
Government Center/Central Artery Area	Government Center/Central Artery Area (also in the Central Artery Special District, Article 49; shown on Map 1H)
OS-UP	Urban Plaza Open Space (mapped subdistrict; no dimensional table on this page)
OS-CM	Cemetery Open Space (mapped subdistrict; no dimensional table on this page)

Sections 45-5 to 45-7 and 45-10 — Maximum Building Height and FAR

Requirement	Markets Protection Area	Pemberton Square Protection Area	Saltonstall Protection Area	State House Protection Area	Sudbury Street Restricted Growth Area	Custom House Medium Density Area	City Hall Medium Density Area	New Chardon Street Medium Density Area	PDA-I	PDA-V
Max. building height (ft)	65 ft	125 ft	55 ft	65 ft	80 ftUp to 100 ft with Large Project Review certification	125 ftUp to 155 ft (in Substantial Accord) with Large Project Review certification	125 ftUp to 155 with Large Project Review certification	125 ftUp to 155 with Large Project Review certification	400 ft	115 ft
Max. floor area ratio (FAR)	4	8	3	4	6 Up to 7 with Large Project Review certification	8 Up to 10 with Large Project Review certification	8 Up to 10 with Large Project Review certification	8 Up to 10 with Large Project Review certification	8	4.0

Blackstone Block Protection Area — Maximum Building Height by Site (FAR 3 throughout)

Requirement	72-86 Blackstone Street	88-98 Blackstone Street	100-102 Blackstone Street	106 Blackstone Street	108-112 Blackstone Street	114-120 Blackstone Street	Hancock Row, Creek Square	139-149 Hanover Street	10 Marshall Street	11-12 Marshall Street	14-22 Marshall Street	1-13 Union Street	15 Union Street	17-21 Union Street	25-27 Union Street	31-35 Union Street	37 Union Street	41-43 Union Street	45-55 Union Street	16-18 North Street	20-22 North Street	24-60 North Street
Max. building height (ft)	46 ft	67 ft	56 ft	56 ft	44 ft	56 ft	46 ft	54 ft	32 ft	67 ft	48 ft	48 ft	48 ft	45 ft	55 ft	62 ft	38 ft	38 ft	45 ft	70 ft	72 ft	72 ft

Where the Code gives a height without a unit, we show it in feet.

Numbers in parentheses, like ⁽¹⁾, are footnotes in the Code table. They often add conditions or exceptions, so read them in Article 45.

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Stratum is not affiliated with the City of Boston or the Boston Planning Department (formerly the BPDA). This summary is for early design and is not a legal determination. Zoning is amended over time, and overlay districts, map amendments and the table footnotes can change what applies to a parcel. Always verify with the Boston Zoning Code and the city before relying on these numbers.