Renderings have been released for the new apartment building that will replace the graffiti mecca that was once in its place.
For years, artists had been using an abandoned building at 45-46 Davis St. in Long Island City as a canvas. But owners GM Realty decided to tear the structure down to build two apartment towers. In 2013, the building was whitewashed overnight and in 2014 it was torn down.
In its place, GM Realty will construct two towers – one 47 stories and the other 41 stories tall – with close to 1,000 rental apartments, 32,000 square feet of outdoor public space and 50,000 square feet of retail space between them.
Jerry Wolkoff, co-founder of GM Realty, said he would reserve space for graffiti artists to display their work, and renderings show the hallways and lounges adorned with graffiti. The plans will also include about 12,000 square feet for artist studios and 223 affordable units between both apartments. The buildings will also include a pool, fitness center and shared lounge.
Artists and 5Pointz fans were angered and disappointed when the original building was whitewashed overnight. They held rallies and signed petitions to try to keep the building up but were unsuccessful. In March, a Brooklyn judge ruled that artists who had previously filed a suit against GM Realty could proceed with the case in front of a jury.
In 2015, more than a dozen artists filed a lawsuit against the Wolkoff family claiming that the property’s owner committed an illegal act by painting over their work without giving them enough warning to take it down and save it. They evoked the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990, which states that protections against destruction of works are afforded to authors who create art of “recognized stature.”
The new buildings are slated to be complete by the end of 2017.
