5Pointz to be completely demolished by October
Developer Jerry Wolkoff to replace graffiti mecca with 1,000 apartments in two towers
July 17, 2014 04:50PM
5Pointz before and after the building was whitewashed in November
Long Island City’s 5Pointz graffiti mecca will be flattened by the end of October.
Developer and GM Realty owner Jerry Wolkoff, who plans to construct two residential towers where the iconic street art site currently stands, announced today that demolition is scheduled to start in two weeks and will take between two and three months to complete. The teardown comes nine months after Wolkoff secured the city council approval needed to proceed with the controversial development, and eight after he whitewashed the building.
“Once demolition starts, we will continue all the way through to 2016… until the job is complete,” Wolkoff told the LIC Post.
Wolkoff added that he had hoped to start demolition months ago, but said the process needed to secure demolition permits was lengthy.
“Since 9/11 the process to get demolition permits anywhere in New York City is a long one,” he told the paper, adding that the delays were not related to the controversy surrounding his planned development.
Wolkoff’s plans for the site call for 1,000 apartment units spread between two towers, one which will stretch 47 stories and another that will total 41 stories. He has agreed to include 210 affordable units as part of the development, and has promised about 20 artists studios totaling roughly 12,000 square feet. [LIC Post] — Julie Strickland
