HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) – A vacant building in Hartford has been covered with even more graffiti.
It’s a sight that’s hard to miss if you’re driving on Interstate 84 through the capital city. Now the city is trying to get the owner to do something about it.
The city is fining the owner of the building $1,200 a day because the graffiti has not been covered. The mayor wants to see that penalty increased.
Drone 3 gives an aerial view of the graffiti at 25 Sigourney Street in Hartford.
Thousands of drivers pass by it on I-84 every single day.
“It looks ridiculous. Like I’m not sure what the message is. It’s not art. It just looks pointless. It looks like trash,” said Jamilia Crawford, Owner of Fire-N-Spice.
Crawford and Chris Haylett own a Jamaican restaurant not far from the building.
They said the graffiti is an eyesore and the messaging is confusing.
“I was like no way, it’s not even art. Not sure what they’re trying to depict,” Haylett said.
The 15-story building was once the location of several state of Connecticut agencies, including Social Services. Now the building is vacant.
“We haven’t seen movement from that owner and I’ll tell you since the first graffiti, we’ve seen more graffiti come in, we’ve seen top windows get broken out,” said Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam.
As of last week, the city started fining the owner $1,200 a day since the graffiti has not been covered.
Arulampalam is hoping the city council passes a blight ordinance which would increase the fine to $3,000 a day.
“We don’t want people to have that image of Hartford when they come in to our city. We’re tired of seeing it. That building has been vacant for a long time. The graffiti has shined a light on it and we’re taking action,” Arulampalam said.
At this time, it’s unclear who is behind the graffiti and how they got all the way up the building.
Hartford police have increased patrols in the area in hopes of keeping trespassers away.
Eyewitness News tried to reach out to the owner for a comment but did not hear back.
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