A few weeks ago developer Jerry Wolkoff floated the idea to demolish graffiti mecca 5 Pointz and replace it with high-rise residential towers. That was an idea the artists of 5 Pointz didn't appreciate very much. But according to City Council member Jimmy Van Bramer, there's not much to worry about...yet. He tells the Queens Courier, “There are so many steps that need to be taken still to even approach this. I’ve gotten many emails from people wanting to save 5 Pointz, but from what I understand it is still very early in the process."
Still, the fans of 5 Pointz started a petition to keep the building intact, and other Queens residents think the building should stay. Real estate broker David Dynack said, “5Pointz always represented everything anti-condo and anti-establishment, so knocking it down for a residential building is just a horrible idea. Maybe instead of condos, they could build artist lofts, commercial art condos or an art institution or a school. How cool would it be to have an art themed school across from P.S. 1?” Even Van Bramer said, “While I don’t pretend to be a fan of graffiti, I can respect that, for many, it is unique when a building becomes a form of public art."
Wolkoff will reportedly meet with the Department of City Planning in the coming weeks, and has said that many in the community have complained that the building is an eyesore. If it does get turned down, he will reportedly "let graffiti artists decorate a large concrete wall that would be built to separate the new buildings from the Long Island Railroad station." Oh, now nice of him! 5 Pointz should really send him a stenciled thank-you note.
