LONG ISLAND CITY — The City Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of a developer's application to build two high-rise luxury towers at the Long Island City site of graffiti center 5Pointz.
G&M Realty is applying for a special permit to build larger than current zoning at 22-44 Jackson Ave. allows, part of a proposal to construct two buildings measuring 47 and 41 stories tall and containing about 1,000 apartments.
Queens Community Board 2 voted against the plan in June. But Queens Borough President Helen Marshall voted in favor of it last month, after the developer agreed to include 75 affordable housing units and to set aside additional space for artist studios.
The plan has drawn fierce opposition from many neighborhood artists, who hail 5Pointz as the cornerstone of the street art community and a cultural icon.
The City Council will vote on the proposal next. Even if the special permit is denied, G&M Realty is still permitted to tear down its current buildings and construct on the site, but at a smaller scale.
