Opponents of developer David Wolkoff’s plans to demolish graffiti mecca 5Pointz are turning their hopes towards the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Hoping the LPC might save the complex by dubbing it an official historic landmark, supporters are hoping to stymie Wolkoff’s plans to erect two residential towers in place of the art site. Despite having already had one such application rejected back in August, the supporters were undeterred and said they have already collected more than 20,000 signatures of individuals supporting the push for landmark status.
“It took seven applications for Grand Central to be considered,” one unnamed supporter told NY1. “This place is historical in the hip-hop world, in the graffiti world.”
The landmarking application comes just a week after a federal judge refused to grant an injunction that would have blocked the demolition of the Long Island City site. A group of aerosol artists previously sued the developer claiming the site contained over 350 original works of art whose demolition would violate copyright law and the Visual Artists Rights Act. [NY1] — Julie Strickland