Good News for Fans of the Graffiti-Covered Mansion at 190 Bowery

It looks like the iconic building will keep its art following a plan approval by the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

The fight to keep the graffiti on the walls of the iconic 190 Bowery building is a complicated one, but a new development could mean good news for those who are in favor of the art. According to ANIMAL, the Landmarks Preservation Commission recently approved plans to restore and renovate the mansion, plans that involve keeping much of the art the way it is.

Jørgen Cleemann of the firm Higgins Quasebarth & Partners presented the plan to install new windows, doors, gates, and other features that won't require cleaning of the walls. The community board approved the plan and gained support from the Historic Districts Council. "HDC applauds the sensitive restoration of this exquisite Bowery landmark," said Kelly Carroll of the Council. "Even the new entrance has been designed carefully so that the historic fabric that is removed will be reincorporated into the building, unlike so many applications where fabric is merely discarded."

The commissioners of the LPC also showed support for the plan, calling 190 Bowery an "extraordinary building" and referring to the graffiti-saving plan as a "interesting show of art." As ANIMAL points out, there is still the question of the future tenants power to change the walls when they move in, but it sounds like this approval carries more weight.

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