The backhoes are making quick work at 5 Pointz. Its been a week since construction workers first started tearing into the storied legal graffiti spot and they’ve already razed an entire rear section of the building (pictured above) nearest to the LIRR tracks.
According to the Times Ledger, it took property owner Jerry Wolkoff about nine months to get the proper permits he needed to start demolishing the monumental complex in Long Island City and will take several more to complete the job. “This is going to take three or four months,” said Wolkoff. “The plan is to start with all of the smaller buildings along the perimeter. We’ll clear that out to create the space needed for heavier machinery that will tackle the main building.”
5 Pointz curator MERES One decided to witness the wrecking firsthand, because as far he is concerned, the site has been dead since last year.
He just wanted to see this day arrive himself,” his spokeswoman Marie Cecil Flageul said. “We’ve spent the last nine months looking at all the whitewashed art on its walls, so the fact of the matter is we couldn’t wait to have the building be gone. 5 Pointz died on Nov. 19, for us it’s just a cemetery now and seeing the artwork through the paint has been unbearable this whole time.
The tombstones being planned for the new condo site aren’t likely to help the grieving process.
(Photo: Pat Cartelli)
