Nov. 18, 2013 By Christian Murray
Hundreds of 5 Pointz fans turned out Saturday afternoon at the graffiti Mecca to hear their leaders tell them that the fight to save the building is not over.
The warehouse, owned by developers Jerry and David Wolkoff, is likely to be demolished in the New Year, to make way for two high-rise residential towers. However, supporters of the building remained defiant and urged fans to remain optimistic.
“I would like people to stop saying they are going to tear down this building,” said Angel Del Villar. “I don’t feel as though this is positive or realistic.”
The 5 Pointz curator Jonathan Cohen, aka Meres One, took a swipe at the media for printing that the building will be demolished and that the artists have lost their fight.
Many of these reports came out last week after Federal Court Judge Frederic Block denied the artists a preliminary injunction, which would have stopped the Wolkoffs from demolishing the building while a lengthy legal fight took place.
“I will let you know when it is over…and it is not over,” Cohen said. “We are still trying to Landmark this building, and there will be 15,000 landmark forms going in Monday.”
NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission forms were passed around and filled out by most of those in attendance.
Meanwhile, the group is also considering appealing Judge Block’s decision.
Jerry Wolkoff, the owner of the building, said prior to the Saturday’s rally that ‘the artists were wasting their time” and he didn’t know what they hoped to accomplish. “They are just hurting themselves,” he said. Other building owners who see how this has played out will be wary of allowing them to paint on their properties, he added.
At the rally, Angel Del Villar said he was prepared to go to extreme lengths if the system didn’t help the artists in saving the building—even calling for a human chain.
“We have enough people to go around this block,” he said. “We can all be handcuffed to one another. We are willing to get our arms cut off for 5 Pointz.”
