5 Pointz will close for good

From the Queens Gazette:

Faced with mounting demands by city officials calling for major repairs at the 5 Pointz building in Long Island City, the owner of the graffiti-covered property has decided to shutter the site and walk away for good.

A spokesperson for G&M Realty, owner of the 90-year-old building said inspectors for the Department of Buildings (DOB) produced a list of repairs that must be completed in order for the site to reopen. Repairs included restoration of the facade, fixing indoor safety violations and removal of all outdoor staircases at the site at 45-46 Davis St.

The DOB issued a vacate order for the 5 Pointz building in April after a tenant was crushed beneath an exterior staircase that collapsed. The city slapped G&M Realty with a $13,000 fine following the collapse, charging the owner with failing to maintain the building.

G&M had been fined previously by the Department of Buildings for failing to secure permission to turn the former factory building into a series of art studios.

The G&M spokesperson said most of the repairs had been completed, but DOB is “still not satisfied”. Building inspectors who returned to check on progress of the repairs were never satisfied, the spokesperson said.