Graffiti on the old VITAS building in downtown Miami is being pushed to be removed by city officials. In a press conference yesterday, Commissioner Joe Carollo urged building owners to tidy up the building’s exterior before Bayfront Park’s New Year’s festivities. According to officials, the graffiti harms the city’s reputation. “I mean, how wonderful would it be to have it by your house? I don’t believe so. Carollo stressed at the meeting, according to WSVN.
Early in the year, enforcement actions had nailed the property owners with a one-month deadline to remove the graffiti or risk fines of up to $500 per day; however, this program has subsequently experienced multiple setbacks. But the patience of the city seems to have worn thin. The code enforcement board refused to grant the property owner any more extensions during a meeting yesterday. According to an NBC Miami story, Assistant City Attorney Rachel Dooley stated, “It appears that they allowed it to be open season on their structure.”
Commissioners’ frustrations have been mirrored by other city leaders in reaction to this ongoing debate. “The city administration has worked diligently with the building’s developers and we expect screens to cover the graffiti within 2-3 weeks at the latest,” Commissioner Damian Pardo said in a statement obtained by WSVN, promising a resolution in a matter of weeks.
Despite these initiatives, opinions among locals and visitors are divided. While some see the graffiti as a disgrace that suggests negligence or worse, others see it as a form of urban art that might improve Miami’s reputation rather than harm it. In fact, the skyscraper was painted by artists from all over the world at Art Basel 2023, turning it into a canvas that today provokes this discussion. “In and of itself, graffiti is art. In an interview with WSVN, Lydia Price stated, “I like it,” a statement that runs counter to the city’s leadership’s determination to rid the area of its vibrant skins.
According to NBC Miami, Dooley said in a moment of annoyance that was echoed by the city’s need for aesthetic conformity ahead of its glowing holiday festivities, “Not in over a year painting, covering up, doing anything to remove this graffiti is quite frankly unforgivable.”
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