Tag Team Raises Questions about Line Between Hype and Lawbreaking
Promotional announcements directing pedestrians to the Sixpoint Brewery at Brookfield Place were recently stenciled on sidewalks throughout Lower Manhattan, in particular on Fulton Street, the Battery Park City esplanade, and South End Avenue. Under New York State law, defacing sidewalks and causing more than $250 dollars in damage (including the cost of removal) is a Class E felony, punishable by up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. (For graffiti that causes less than $250 in damage, the offense is classified as a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail, and fines up to $1,000.)
Lower Manhattan resident John Dellaportas questioned, “who at Sixpoint Brewery felt authorized to deface the sidewalks of Battery Park City with their corporate logo? I am sure that neither their lease with Brookfield Place, nor the master lease with Battery Park City, permit them to vandalize the neighborhood and engage in felonious conduct.”
John P. Coleman, the chief executive officer of Artisanal Brewing Ventures (the corporate owner of Sixpoint), said, “once we were notified of the issue, we immediately partnered with Brookfield Place management to remedy the situation.”
Mr. Coleman added, “as a sign of goodwill we invited our Battery Park neighbors to a hosted happy hour at our taproom via local chat groups. We pride ourselves on being good corporate citizens and neighbors. We partner with numerous groups around the city to give back to our communities, including Tunnel to Towers and the Billion Oyster Project. I hope that Sixpoint Brewing will be judged by our 20-plus years of giving back to our city and neighbors and our goal of bringing people together.”
A spokesperson from Brookfield Place (Sixpoint’s landlord) responded, “upon being notified of this issue, we removed the paint and cleaned the impacted area immediately.” Sixpoint graffiti on Fulton Street, however, remains.