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About ten years later, the property was bought by fairly young developer: Jerry Wolkoff.Īt the time of this purchase, Wolkoff was in his mid thirties, but had already lived a lifetime in the development business. The factory would remain operational until the decline of US east coast industrialism in the late 1950s and 60s. The building was not particularly architecturally significant, however it did reflect a proud expansion of the initiatives popularized by Fordism. When the actual structure of what would become 5 Pointz was competed in the 1890s, it was for a water meter factory. So what happened? How did arguably one of the most fascinating and potentially influential street-art venues in New York become a pile of rubble? Indeed the Times once referred to the building as being made of ‘murals with allegorical tales of good and evil, modern takes on Rembrandt, variations on and homages to grunge comix and the golden age of Mad magazine.’ It was an oddity in the infamously informal world for its self-seeking legitimacy: boasting a curator, paid staff and even write ups in the New York Times. But now that the furor has died down, the focus should be on the buildings that will soon rise. They’ll bring thousands of residents to a transit-rich area that’s been underpopulated for far too long, and – along with the smaller infill buildings sprouting like weeds – will be a huge step towards making Court Square feel like a real neighborhood.For decades, a towering former factory was hailed as, if not the center of street-art, than certainly one if its strongest facilitators. The controversy over the end of 5 Pointz was grossly unfair to the Wolkoffs, who for years let artists use their property at below-market rents. The garage will be all but invisible on the dead-end street, which sits below the elevated railway trestle that carries the 7 train across Sunnyside Yard and on towards Manhattan. Parking, which the developer is required to build in order to get a density bonus, will be tucked away on David Street, and shielded by a number of artists’ studios and displays that the Wolkoffs are providing to make up for the loss of the 5 Pointz gallery. 22-44 Jackson Avenue, rendering courtesy of HTO Architect