It’s been quiet here for a while. I’ve been busy these past few weeks on a side project for Conflux. But more than that, a big new project with Packard Jennings (see Bus Stop Ad Project) has been taking up most of my time. It’s finally done and will be installed on Market Street in San Francisco in the beginning of November.
Since being so busy, some bits of relevant news have slipped by. Here’s a few to hold you over, with more to come in the near future…
Lobbying to Legalize Advertising
A year ago the Municipal Art Society and other community groups began to pressure the New York Department of Buildings to enforce existing laws that ban advertising on scaffolding construction sheds and construction sites. After realizing the fine/profit ratio was out of proportion, the DoB physically removed much of the illegal advertising.
An article in this weeks Village Voice explains that the DoB actually paid the advertisers to remove their own illegal ads. Also in the article: Outdoor Advertisers are heavily lobbying Melinda Katz, a Queens City Council member and candidate for City Comptroller, who has written legislation to make advertising on construction sheds legal. Worth reading.
By the way, Queens is home to another corrupt politician, showboat legislator, Peter Vallone Jr., who angles for votes by vilifying graffiti and advocating for disproportionate fines and jail time for writers. Queens, where’s the justice?
Locked Into A Bad Lease
Earlier this year two highway sized billboards were erected, one on top of the other, entering Greenwich Village in Manhattan. They reach higher than 3 stories, loom over housing, and have generally not been well received in the neighborhood. In a NY Times article, the landlord who had them installed expressed regrets:
”I personally want to unequivocally apologize for having made the decision to install the billboards,” he said in the statement. ”It was a business decision made without fully envisioning the sheer size of the signage and without understanding the emotional impact it would trigger.”
Mr. Achenbaum added, however, that he could not remove the billboards because he was ”bound to a long-term lease” with Sign In Properties, a signage company, for 20 years. Ms. Cohen added that if the hotel broke the lease, it would be contractually obligated to pay Sign In the projected lifetime revenue of the billboard, which she said would be a ”multimillion-dollar sum,” as well as the cost of the structure.
In his statement, Mr. Achenbaum also said that to make amends, he had offered to let artists display their work on the back of the billboards in the future, and to give those artists $5,000 grants. The program has not begun yet, according to Ms. Cohen, because Mr. Achenbaum must first secure city permission to display the works.
Ouch, that’s some lease. So the shortsighted landlord, thoughts clouded by greed, has had a change of heart. That’s nice. Sorta.
Playing Catch Up
It’s been quiet here for a while. I’ve been busy these past few weeks on a side project for Conflux. But more than that, a big new project with Packard Jennings (see Bus Stop Ad Project) has been taking up most of my time. It’s finally done and will be installed on Market Street in San Francisco in the beginning of November.
Since being so busy, some bits of relevant news have slipped by. Here’s a few to hold you over, with more to come in the near future…
Lobbying to Legalize Advertising
A year ago the Municipal Art Society and other community groups began to pressure the New York Department of Buildings to enforce existing laws that ban advertising on scaffolding construction sheds and construction sites. After realizing the fine/profit ratio was out of proportion, the DoB physically removed much of the illegal advertising.
An article in this weeks Village Voice explains that the DoB actually paid the advertisers to remove their own illegal ads. Also in the article: Outdoor Advertisers are heavily lobbying Melinda Katz, a Queens City Council member and candidate for City Comptroller, who has written legislation to make advertising on construction sheds legal. Worth reading.
By the way, Queens is home to another corrupt politician, showboat legislator, Peter Vallone Jr., who angles for votes by vilifying graffiti and advocating for disproportionate fines and jail time for writers. Queens, where’s the justice?
Locked Into A Bad Lease
Earlier this year two highway sized billboards were erected, one on top of the other, entering Greenwich Village in Manhattan. They reach higher than 3 stories, loom over housing, and have generally not been well received in the neighborhood. In a NY Times article, the landlord who had them installed expressed regrets:
Ouch, that’s some lease. So the shortsighted landlord, thoughts clouded by greed, has had a change of heart. That’s nice. Sorta.