Which type of area is characterized as the floor plate minus the core area?

The correct answer is the type of area referred to as usable area. Usable area is defined as the space that is actually available for a tenant's occupancy and use, excluding areas allocated for building services like hallways, elevators, and restrooms, which are classified as core areas.

When calculating the usable area, the total floor plate is considered but then these core areas are subtracted from it, leaving the space that the tenant can utilize for their specific purposes, such as offices or retail space. This distinction is crucial for tenants when evaluating commercial leases, as it directly impacts how much space they are effectively paying for and using.

In understanding the other options, rentable area typically includes the usable area plus a portion of the core area that is allocated to the tenant, so it encompasses more space than what is actually usable. The core area itself refers to those common facilities and services that are essential but not directly used by tenants. The unusable area is not a standard classification in this context; rather, it is more about space that cannot be used for productive purposes within a building.