Chicago zoning comparison · the high-intensity corridor step
B3-3 vs B3-5: which lets you build more?
B3-5 carries the larger envelope — FAR 5 vs 3; on a standard 25 × 125 ft Chicago lot, B3-5 permits 15 units by right against 7; the height limits are 80 ft vs 65 ft.
Figures originally read from a Title 17 excerpt in a third-party zoning report dated 18 September 2024. On 24 August 2026 the bulk standards — floor area ratio, lot area per unit, building height and minimum lot area — were re-checked against the current adopted edition 2026-S-73 and found unchanged. Setbacks and parking ratios were not part of that pass and still rest on the 2024 reading. Data snapshot generated 2026-08-24. How this data is produced and checked →
Side by side
| B3-3 Community Shopping 3 | B3-5 Community Shopping 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Max FAR | 3 | 5 |
| Max height | 65 ft | 80 ft |
| Lot area per unit | 400 sf | 200 sf |
| Units on a standard 25×125 ft lot | 7 | 15 |
| Min lot area | — | — |
| Residential parking / unit | 1 | 1 |
| Max lot coverage | 75% | 80% |
| Permitted uses | ground-floor retail, multi-unit residential, mixed-use buildings and offices | ground-floor retail, multi-unit residential, mixed-use buildings and offices |
| Connected Communities bulk bonus tier | Yes (B-3/C-3 tier) | No |
Green marks the more permissive value. Setbacks are contextual in both districts and omitted here — see the district pages for the working scalars and the governing formulas.