(a)        Ground floor level uses

At least 50 percent of the total frontage of all new building walls fronting on a public plaza, or fronting on an arcade adjoining a public plaza, exclusive of such frontage occupied by building lobbies and frontage used for subway access, shall be allocated for occupancy at the ground floor level by retail or service establishments permitted by the applicable district regulations but not including uses in Use Groups 6B, 6E, 7C, 8C, 9B, 10B, 11 and 12D, or banks, automobile showrooms or plumbing, heating or ventilating equipment showrooms. In addition, libraries, museums and art galleries shall be permitted. All such uses shall:

(1)        be directly accessible from the major portion of the public plaza, an adjoining arcade, or a street frontage shared by the establishment and the public plaza;

(2)        have a minimum depth of 15 feet, measured perpendicular to the wall adjoining the public plaza; and

(3)        occupy such frontage for the life of the increased floor area of the bonused development.

The remaining frontage may be occupied by other uses, lobby entrances or vertical circulation elements, in accordance with the district regulations.

As an alternative, where retail or service establishments located in an existing building front upon a public plaza or an arcade adjoining a public plaza, at least 50 percent of the total frontage of all building walls fronting on the public plaza, or fronting on an arcade adjoining a public plaza, exclusive of such frontage occupied by building lobbies and frontage used for subway access, shall be allocated for occupancy at the ground floor level by retail or service establishments permitted by the applicable district regulations but not including uses in Use Groups 6B, 6E, 7C, 8C, 9B, 10B, 11 and 12D, or banks, automobile showrooms or plumbing, heating or ventilating equipment showrooms. In addition, libraries, museums and art galleries shall be permitted. All such uses shall comply with the provisions of paragraphs (a)(1), (a)(2) and (a)(3) of this Section.

(b)        Public entrances

A public entrance to the principal use of the building associated with the public plaza shall be located within 10 feet of the major portion of the public plaza. Frontage on the public plaza that is occupied by a building entrance or lobby shall not exceed 60 feet or 40 percent of the total aggregate frontage of the new building walls on the major and minor portions of the public plaza, whichever is less, but in no case shall building entrances or lobbies occupy less than 20 feet of frontage on the public plaza.

(c)        Transparency

All new building walls fronting on the major and minor portions of the public plaza shall be treated with clear, untinted transparent material for 50 percent of the surface area below 14 feet above the public plaza level, or the ceiling level of the ground floor of the building, whichever is lower. Any non-transparent area of a new or existing building wall fronting on the major or minor portion of a public plaza shall be treated with a decorative element or material or shall be screened with planting to a minimum height of 15 feet above the public plaza.