Farewell 5Pointz? Legendary Graffiti Spot

The owner of the Long Island City building known as 5Pointz, Jerry Wolkoff, has started discussing plans to redevelop the area. Wolkoff, who has owned the Davis Street warehouse for 40 years, said the time has come to repurpose the block which the 5-story, 20,000 square-foot building currently stands, to a group of city planning officials.  The block where the warehouse currently sits will be replaced with two high-rise residential towers totaling 2 million square-feet including 1,300 rental units. restaurants and a supermarket. Mr. Wolkoff has promised to include affordable studio space for artists in his blueprints, and also devote a rear wall of the building for graffiti.  5Pointz has been a mecca for graffiti artists for more than a decade but complaints about the activity at 5Pointz and the poor condition of the building outweighed any means for the space to remain open.The board is in agreement with the owner that the building should come down, but there is some concern over the proposed development for the site.  He plans to formally submit a proposal to the city in the next two weeks. The size and scope of the project are still undetermined.  In the meantime, 5points is enlisting artists to spruce up the walls and roof before demolition begins.  “If the building is going down, I want to get these walls looking museum status in my eyes” says MeresOne.  It is estimated that 1,000 graffiti artists paint at 5Pointz each year.

Via 12ozP