LONG ISLAND CITYYesterday marked the one year anniversary of graffiti haven 5Pointz's abrupt overnight whitewashing. To mark the somber anniversary, a short documentary named "We Don't Need More Rats Here" by director P.J. Monsanto has been released online. The nearly 18-minute video captures the artists' scramble to save the building amidst rumors of developer Jerry Wolkoff's moves to begin building two bland rental towers, and the artists' devastation in the whitewashing's aftermath. [CurbedWire inbox; official; previously]
HUDSON YARDSBrookfield's Manhattan West passed a major milestone this week with the completion of a platform built over Penn Station's formerly exposed rail approach. A special tool nicknamed "The Launcher" lifted and placed 16 56,000-ton concrete blocks atop the railroad tracks to build a solid platform for the project's public plaza. [CurbedWire inbox; previously]