Cleanup efforts have begun on the graffiti-covered towers of the stalled Oceanwide Plaza development in downtown Los Angeles, ahead of a $517 million bankruptcy sale to new owners KPC Development Co.
Despite the sale not expected to close for another six months, KPC has committed to removing the extensive graffiti that has marred the three skyscrapers for more than two years. The towers, rising 42 and 54 stories above Figueroa Street near Crypto.com Arena and the Harbor Freeway, have become an infamous symbol of the unfinished project.
On Wednesday, KPC conducted a preliminary test to assess the feasibility of graffiti removal. John Petty of KPC reported encouraging results, estimating that the entire cleanup should take fewer than 90 days. The plan is to deploy three separate crews, one for each tower, starting from the top and working downward. Due to the buildings’ height and complexity, crews will use suspended scaffolds, known as swing stages, similar to those employed by window cleaners.
The graffiti itself was created under risky conditions, with artists rappelling hundreds of feet from rooftops to tag the structures. Petty acknowledged the danger involved and expressed relief that no injuries occurred during the unauthorized activity. The cleanup operation will utilize a biodegradable remover manufactured locally in Atwater Village, called World’s Best Bare Brick, Stone and Masonry Graffiti Remover. Adam Kopcho, president of Urban Restoration Group U.S. Inc., which supplies the remover, noted this project is among the largest applications of the product to date.
Kopcho estimated that more than 1,300 gallons of the remover will be necessary, with the total potentially increasing due to the dense, sun-baked layers of graffiti. Some taggers also applied primer beneath their paint, complicating removal efforts and requiring additional time.
The Oceanwide Plaza development was started by Beijing-based Oceanwide Holdings, which invested approximately $1.2 billion before halting construction at about 60% completion in 2019 amid financial difficulties. KPC anticipates that an additional $850 million will be needed to complete the project, which is planned to include 504 residential units, a luxury hotel, and retail space.
Security at the vacant site has since been tightened, with 24-hour guards, surveillance cameras, laser detection systems, and high metal fencing topped with razor wire to prevent further unauthorized access. The graffiti bloom began earlier this year after security lapsed, attracting not only graffiti artists but also BASE jumpers and performance artists attempting stunts atop the unfinished towers.
KPC Development is poised to take title of the property and resume construction, aiming to restore the once-promising project and erase the visual reminders of its troubled history.