By Bill Parry
The long-awaited demolition of 5Pointz began last Friday morning with heavy machinery punching a huge hole in the back wall.
Dozens of art lovers and tourists looked on quietly along Davis Street as the contractors proceeded, and among them was Meres One, the curator who helped make the graffiti mecca famous around the world.
“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. 5Pointz 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.”
Their pain will last for several more months because the demolition process will take awhile, according to owner Jerry Wolkoff.
“This is going to take three or four months,” he said. “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.”
Wolkoff had to wait nine months while the proper permits were issued for the demolition.
“I had no idea it would take so long to get the paperwork in order, but now we’re in action and I hope to start digging the foundation for my buildings in early spring,” Wolkoff said.
A federal judge gave Wolkoff the green light last fall to tear down the former Neptune Building warehouse complex when he ruled against the 5Pointz artists’ attempts to save their aerosol artwork that had covered the outside walls since 1993.
Wolkoff ordered the graffiti murals to be covered with paint in the early morning hours of Nov. 19, ending the era.
Once the demolition is complete, Wolkoff will build two luxury high-rise towers with 1,100 apartments with 20 percent of them affordable housing. Included in the $400 million project is 50,000 square feet of retail space, a new public park and space for the artist community’s return.
“I keep saying they’ll come back because they know I loved their work,” Wolkoff said. “These are going to be the coolest buildings in New York City and they’re going to want to be a part of it.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4538.
