May 12, 2015 By Jackie Strawbridge
The iconic LIC Clock Tower is now safe.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to landmark the 11-story building, known for its neo-Gothic detailing, gargoyles and its glass clock face.
The Clock Tower – located at 29-27 Queens Plaza North– was the tallest building in Queens prior to the construction of the Citigroup Building in 1990.
“For nearly a century, the Queens Clock Tower building has been one of Long Island City’s most recognizable structures, greeting hundreds of thousands of commuters as they enter the borough,” Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said in a statement.
“The Commission is proud to recognize this iconic building, which represents a significant period of development in Long Island City.”
The designation marks a victory for a months-long community campaign to landmark the tower, which was once the Bank of Manhattan Building. A petition to landmark the Clock Tower garnered more than 1,600 signatures.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer also wrote a letter to the LPC last year calling on the agency to landmark the structure.
Queens Plaza Park Development, a partnership between Property Markets Group and the Hakim Organization, purchased the tower last November.
The owners could not immediately be reached for comment.
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