City Approves Luxury High-Rise Development at 5Pointz
By Billy Gray October 10, 2013 4:34 pm
reprintsThe City Council approved plans to replace Long Island City’s storied street art mecca 5Pointz with 88 stories of apartments yesterday.
LIC residents had rallied against the demolition of the graffiti-caked art center and Queens Community Board 2 in June voted against a proposal by developer G&M Realty. But the company revised plans to include more affordable units and space for artist studios within two towers, appeasing members of the approval committee, if not the site’s neighbors.
G&M owners David and Jerry Wolkoff said they hope to start demolishing 5Pointz by the end of the year. Changes to earlier plans included a promise to build 209 affordable apartments (up from 75 initially) and increase the amount of art studio space to 12,000 square feet from 2,000 square feet. Those concessions won the support of Queens Borough President Helen Marshall earlier this year.
5Points opened in 1993 and became a destination for international “aerosol artists” and visitors.
The development will include 1,000 luxury apartments within the 47- and 41-story buildings in addition to 50,000 square feet of retail space and 30,000 square feet of outdoor public space.
