MOJO.STUMER + ASSOCIATES
May 31, 2017 By Jason Cohen
The developer who knocked down the former 5Pointz graffiti mecca has released renderings of the new towers that are replacing it.
The site, which for years was home to an abandoned building at 45-46 Davis Street that artists used as a canvas, is being transformed into a trendy upscale place for millennials, said Jerry Wolkoff, who owns the property with his son David.
The old building, which was covered by spray paint graffiti, was whitewashed overnight in 2013 and demolished in 2014.
In its place will be two high-rise rental towers, one 47 stories and the other 41, containing nearly 1,000 apartments, 223 of which will be affordable. The development will have 50,000 square feet of commercial space, 12,000 square feet for artist studios and will include a public park.
The renderings show an “engraved graffiti logo” of the 5Pointz name behind the reception desk, similar to one the 5Pointz artists have used. There will also be graffiti-style artwork scattered throughout the building to reflect the history of 5Pointz, Wolkoff said.
Wolkoff said the logo used in the rendering will change but said that he had the right to use the 5Pointz name for his development.
According to Mojo Stumer Associates, which is designing the interior of the building, there will be a business center, lounges, a gallery, indoor pool and a fitness room. The lounge area will have 14 foot ceilings, with floor to ceiling windows permitting natural light.
In March, a group of artists who had sued Wolkoff for destroying their graffiti art won a legal victory when a judge ruled that their case against him could proceed. The artists claim that Wolkoff had violated the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990. They are seeking damages.
Wolkoff, who has owned the property for 40 years, said that he allowed the artists to spray paint the building for 20 years and that they knew it would one day be demolished.
“They (the artists) wanted to keep the building’s graffiti, but it’s my building,” Wolkoff said.
MOJO.STUMER + ASSOCIATES
MOJO.STUMER + ASSOCIATES
MOJO.STUMER + ASSOCIATES
