Deal reached for new Court Square public library at 5Pointz development
View of 5 Pointz LIC in September 2020; Photo: © CityRealty
After over four years, Court Square in Long Island City is getting its public library back. The Queens Public Library (QPL) announced a tentative deal for a new branch at the 5Pointz LIC rental development on Jackson Avenue. After occupying the ground floor of One Court Square for 30 years, the branch closed in 2020 when Amazon’s plan to open a headquarters there fell through.
The Court Square branch inside One Court Square paid an annual rent of $1 since it opened in 1989 as part of a deal with Citigroup, whose lease ended in 2020. As part of Amazon’s plan to open a second headquarters in Long Island City, the retailer said it would move some staff to about 25 floors at One Court Square, as 6sqft reported. Amazon pulled out of the deal, withdrawing from the agreement with the building’s landlord, Savanna.
The QPL Board of Trustees unanimously approved the terms of the new lease agreement last week. The deal with 5Pointz owner G-M Realty L.P. includes 4,500 square feet on the building’s second floor under a 15-year lease, with a five-year renewal option.
The new library will take two years to construct, with work starting as early as next summer, according to QPL.
“The board’s vote to approve the terms of the lease for a new Court Square branch is a critical step toward bringing library service back to one of New York City’s most vibrant neighborhoods and providing a welcoming, dynamic space that is open to all for free,” Dr. Earl G. Simons, chair of Queens Public Library’s Board of Trustees, said.
“On behalf of my fellow trustees, I would like to thank President Walcott and his team for their hard work and determination to uphold the Library’s commitment to identifying a new space for the branch.”
Plans to relocate the library to the new 5Pointz development surfaced in 2020, but the library’s financial situation put any progress on hold until at least 2025. The site was formerly occupied by a warehouse that hosted artist studios and exhibition space in the 1990s. In 2002, developer Jerry Wolkoff allowed graffiti artists to cover the exterior of the building with street art.
In November 2013, the warehouse was whitewashed of its iconic murals and razed completely in 2014, resulting in several lawsuits filed by the artists and eventually a $6.75 million payout. Construction of the residential towers, designed by HTO Architects with interiors by Mojo Stumer, began in 2015.
Currently, rentals start at around $3,200 for a studio, according to CityRealty.
“We are excited to have Queens Public Library here at 5PointzLIC, and we are thrilled that the Court Square community will once again have a great library branch,” G-M Realty President David Wolkoff said.
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