Officials Eye 5Pointz Towers As Court Square Library's New Home

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — The Queens Public Library may have found a new home for its recently-shuttered Court Square branch.

Library officials are in talks to lease space in the 5Pointz development at 22-44 Jackson Ave., a new two-tower luxury apartment complex on the site of the former mural project of the same name, a Queens Public Library spokesperson confirmed.

The library has until 2025 to make a decision about the 5Pointz space and is continuing to review other options, Queens Public Library spokesperson Elisabeth de Bourbon told Patch. She declined to disclose the potential square footage and cost of the space.

"We are exploring options and seriously considering the space at 5Pointz, keeping the Library’s financial stability at the forefront of any decision," Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott said in a prepared statement.

The library's Court Square branch, located in the former Citigroup building, closed in February after its sublease and a subsequent extension ended.

News of the 5Pointz negotiations comes as the development's owner, David Wolkoff, seeks the City Planning Commission's approval of a "minor modification" to his original plans for the towers, the LIC Post reported. Each tower is 6 feet taller than allowed under the rezoning permit Wolkoff received in 2013.

Queens Community Board 2 voted in favor of the request on the condition that the project include 5,000 square feet for a library, though the board's opinion is only advisory, according to the LIC Post.

The City Planning Commission will vote on Wolkoff's application on Dec. 16.