Development redesign may nix famed 5Pointz graffiti
hub in Long Island City
BY John Lauinger
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Sunday, March 6th 2011
The iconic graffiti-caked Long Island City factory known as 5Pointz has been
tagged for development, likely ending its run as a street-art mecca.
The building "s owner, developer Jerry Wolkoff, said he met recently with city
planning officials to discuss replacing it with two high-rise residential towers
and up to 1,300 rental units.
Wolkoff wants to dramatically remake the entire block along Jackson Ave. that
surrounds 5Pointz, where the No. 7 train rumbles past.
He plans to formally submit a proposal to the city within the next two weeks.
The size and scope of the project are still being worked out.
Artists fear that Wolkoff "s vision for the factory "s future would snuff out
one of the city "s unique creative communities.
"If it were to happen, it would be no different than tearing down the
MOMA or the Guggenheim," said Jonathan Cohen, the founder of the 5Pointz
collective.
Since the early 1990s, aerosol artists have transformed the decaying post-industrial
relic into a renowned work of urban art.
Each year artists spray-paint 1,000 new works on the building "s concrete and
steel canvass.
"It is not just any other building with graffiti on it. It is the epicenter
for graffiti artists from all over the world," Cohen said.
Wolkoff has owned the old factory since 1971 and long supported the work of
the graffiti artists.
He told The News in an exclusive interview that his plans include a mix of
shops and restaurants, a supermarket, an open-air concourse between the towers
and a park. There would also be studio space for artists.
The city rezoned the block in a 2001 plan to spur redevelopment around Queens
Plaza.
The change allows large-scale redevelopment. But Wolkoff "s plans call for the
taller of the two towers to rise some 40 stories, which will require a special
permit and likely a zoning change.
That means the plans must be approved through the city "s zoning and land-use
review process.
Wolkoff said his $300 million project would revitalize the area and provide
for thousands of construction jobs.
"It is important for Long Island City, and it is important for Queens,"
he said.
Queens Community Board 2 head Joseph Conley said there will always be local
concerns about the impact of new developments, but the area needs revitalization.
"The manufacturing that was there is long gone," he said.
Cohen questions whether the "magic" of 5Pointz can be replicated.
"It is the gateway to Queens," he said. "I don "t know if it
could be somewhere else."
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