Inch by inch, 190 Bowery is losing its graffiti

[Photo from Sunday]

A few weeks back, we read a piece by Bucky Turco in Mass Appeal reporting that the landmarked 190 Bowery would be relieved of its graffiti — with one exception — here at Spring Street.

The first few photos in this post are from Sunday, showing the circa-1898 Germania Bank Building with its art intact...







On Tuesday, workers covered a small section of the south-facing wall ... as the buffing process began...



... and more arrived yesterday...



However, one tag will remain on the building: The "NEKST" on the front. Here's Mass Appeal with more:

Sean “NEKST” Griffin, a world renowned and respected writer, passed away unexpectedly in 2012. The prolific artist painted his name in cities all across the United States and is believed to have tagged the high profile Bowery spot sometime in 2007.

Aby Rosen's RFR Realty owns the building, and his crews are renovating the space for new tenants, including a creative fashion entity called Great Bowery.

Rosen bought the landmarked building from photographer Jay Maisel for a reported $55 million in 2014.

Rosen had said that the new tenant would have the final say on if the graffiti remained or got buffed out.

Mass Appeal reached out to creative house Great Bowery, the building’s main tenant to get their take on Rosen’s decision to buff the piece. “We would have much preferred the graffiti stay,” writes COO Melissa Kelly, “however we are really grateful that the landlord agreed to save the culturally significant NEKST piece.”

Previously