The erstwhile 5 Pointz site in Long Island City is basically unrecognizable what with the two-tower development at the site now several stories above ground, a construction site photo by NYConstructionPhoto has revealed.
One of the towers is about a dozen stories tall and the other is at five. Eventually, one of them will stand 48-stories tall and the other will end at 41-stories. Signs of 22-44 Jackson Avenue ever having been a graffiti mecca had basically disappeared by the start of 2015, but work seemed to move at a glacial pace in the years following the demolition of the building.
Foundation work got underway towards the end of 2015, and by October last year, the structure was two stories above ground. Work has been moving along quickly since and YIMBY reports that construction will likely wrap by the end of this year.
Developed by GM Realty, this massive project will bring 1,115 apartment to the neighborhood. Of the total units, 223 have been set aside as affordable units. There are also plans for nearly 40,000-square-feet of commercial space on the ground and cellar floors along with room for 20 artists’ studios.
It wasn’t enough that the developer was already reviled for taking over the beloved Long Island City site, but back in August 2016, GM Realty backtracked on its promise to use union labor to build the towers. Protests followed, but no action was taken against the developer.
