Long Island City's Historic Clock Tower Is Now A Landmark

Well that was easy. Less than a year after a preservation campaign launched, the Clock Tower of Long Island City is officially a landmark. The Landmarks Preservation Commission vote unanimously to designate the 14-story Art Deco structure. Built in 1927, the building was original used as the Bank of the Manhattan Company Building, and it was designed by Queens-born architect Morrell Smith. The LPC deemed the "iconic" building worthy because it "represents a significant period of development in Long Island City" and is one of the borough's most recognizable structures.

The designation will come as a relief to preservationists who worry that a coming development could harm the building. Developer Property Markets Group, along with the Hakim Organization, plans to build a 915-foot tower—the tallest in the city outside of Manhattan—beside the Clock Tower. The developers were already planning to keep the historic building (and were onboard with landmark status), but now the LPC will have more say over their proposal, which would pretty much swallow up the clock tower.

A look at what's to come >>