By Chris Engelhardt
Borough President Helen Marshall approved a tweaked special permit application Tuesday for the 5Pointz redevelopment project that includes additional community benefits for Long Island City residents.
The Wolkoff family, which has owned the site for more than 40 years, wants to raze 5Pointz, at 45-46 Davis St. in Long Island City, by the end of the year. Design plans call for a zoning change to allow 1,000 residential units, all rentals, in a 41-story tower and a 47-story tower, which would be connected on the fifth floor with an esplanade. The plans include an indoor pool, a gym, an art gallery and a 250-spot parking garage, along with a courtyard with a 50-by-200-foot mural honoring the building’s graffiti displays, as well as 30,000 square feet of outdoor space for the public in addition to 50,000 square feet of retail space between both buildings.
In June, Community Board 2 rejected the special permit application to develop the graffiti-covered warehouse into two high-rise luxury apartments after CB 2’s Land Use Committee said the project’s “excessive size” and “unsatisfactory design” failed to provide sufficient community benefits.
At a Land Use public hearing June 27, 5Pointz owner David Wolkoff — joined by his father, Long Island developer Jerry Wolkoff, and CB 2 Chairman Joseph Conley — told Marshall additional community benefits would be included in the application to ensure sufficient amenities for residents. They include 75 units of affordable housing, 12,000 square feet of space for artist studios, a working partnership with local art institution PS 1 Sculpture Studio for the management of art display panels along Davis Street and parking preferential rates and promotions.
The application will now be reviewed by the City Planning Commission.
Reach reporter Chris Engelhardt by e-mail at cengelhardt@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
