The fate of 5Pointz, the iconic graffiti-covered warehouse in Long Island City, has been decided?it will undoubtedly meet the wrecking ball?but what exactly will replaced it has yet to be determined. As of right zoning would allow for a bulky, 600-unit residential building, but the owner, David Wolkoff, wants two towers and 1,000 units. And now, we have the first idea of what that could possibly look like. New York YIMBY unearthed the environmental review of the proposed project, which includes the above rendering. The image is only for illustrative purposes, so this isn't necessarily what will replace 5Pointz, but it's clear that nothing of the current colorful building will remain.
Wolkoff wants a larger tower of 47 stories (498 feet), plus a shorter 40-story tower (440 feet). When the proposal was presented to the community board last summer, there were no plans for any of the units to be affordable?and the environmental assessment reaffirms this?but we would't be surprised if that changes during the ULURP process. Since Wolkoff needs a change in zoning, he'll likely give concessions to the community, and often these concessions revolve around affordable housing. The environmental assessment only says that the applicant could apply for the 421a tax abatement, which then would require 20 percent of the units to be affordable.
Despite strong opposition to the destruction of 5Pointz, there are no plans to preserve any parts of the art-covered warehouse, but the new project will include 2,280 square feet of undefined artist space. Demolition of 5Pointz could begin as early as this fall (previous reports said the building would be gone by September). If that's the case, construction of the first tower would start next year, and the whole shebang would be operable sometime in 2017. For a detailed timeline, see page 235 of the environmental assessment.
· First Glimpse: '5Pointz' Redevelopment Plans [NY YIMBY]
· 22-24 Jackson Avenue Environmental Assessment [official PDF]
· 5Pointz coverage [Curbed]
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