They say all good things must come to an end. The next good thing to bite the dust in the street art world will be the 5 Pointz Aerosol Art Center in Long Island City, New York.
Owner of the 200,000-square-foot factory building, David Wolkoff plans to build two 47 and 41 story buildings in the space, totaling over 1000 new apartments. At a Queens Community Board 2 meeting last week, members voted unanimously against the demolition plans, but the owner is moving forward. However, there may be a silver lining. Co-chair of the board, Stephen Cooper said that concerned artists and members of the community can pursue landmark designation for the building. Proving that 5 Pointz is a historic landmark in the city could mean saving over 350 murals from the bulldozers and wrecking balls in the near future.
UPDATE October 10, 2013 1:00 p.m.: A NYC Council meeting was held on October 9 to discuss the development and the future of the 5 Pointz. Unfortunately, there was no drastic turn of events that would mean the building remains the way it is, but there were a few "agreements" made between the city, the developers, and the current owners of the property. According to Gothamist, the agreement included 1000 new union jobs for the construction of the new buildings, 12,000 square feet of space inside the buildings designated for art, 10,000 square feet of panels outside for murals (possibly curated by 5 Pointz founder, Meres One), and another 32,000 square feet of public space. There is still no word on when the center as it stands will close to visitors, but it's clear that it will close.
[via ArtInfo]
RELATED: The 50 Greatest NYC Graffiti Artists
RELATED: The History Of The Bowery/Houston Street Graffiti Mural Wall In NYC
RELATED: Green Label - A Look at the Best Graffiti Spots in the World
