AUSTIN, Texas — It seems like everywhere you turn near 11th and Baylor in Downtown Austin you'll see illegal graffiti.
Wink restaurant and wine bar co-owner Mark Paul's restaurant is right below where the HOPE Outdoor Gallery used to be and he said it's been a problem for their business for year.
“That turned into an invitation for everybody who wanted to use a spray can to come this direction,” said Paul. “It’s been a really trying time because our business is directly below there and we certainly have enough flat square footage on this building that we spend a lot of time doing graffiti abatement.”
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"It doesn't look good. It makes your neighborhood look bad. It makes your businesses look bad," said Patricia Moreno, City of Austin engineer. “It costs them money to have to clean it up or cover it up. Repainting or removing, either way, it costs a lot of money.”
The HOPE Outdoor Gallery opened its gates in 2011 and the graffiti problems stayed even after it closed earlier this year.
Paul said the art isn't the problem, but it's how illegal graffiti is damaging City and business property.
"I have walked out on people spraying in front of the restaurant. Just right in front of the restaurant, like we're just going to just tag this because we were here," said Paul."I don't think there's anything we can do until the area's developed out and I regret that because I feel like there's very little respect for private property and ownership in the entire downtown area."
The City hopes new "no graffiti" signs will help diminish the problem.
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"People who just have bad intentions, it's not going to stop them," said Moreno. "No sign is going to stop them. People who have good intentions and they really appreciate art, they're going to do the right thing."
If you see someone painting illegal graffiti, report it to Austin 311.
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