If you're driving on I-84 in Harford, you'll notice graffiti riddled across the top of a 15-story office building.
"I would say it is kind of any eyesore," said Robyn Rosario, of Tolland. "I was just kind of taken aback because I've passed that building many times, and I've never seen that before."
Rosario says she noticed on it on her drive into Hartford on Thursday. Others noticed it earlier in the week, and they say it seems as though new graffiti shows up on the building every day.
"I was shocked that somebody was able to get up that high, and I was thinking to myself, it couldn't have all happened in one day, it must have been a progression," said Kevin McConnell, of Hartford.
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Businessman Casey Askar, who owns office buildings in Michigan, pizza chains, and nearly 50 Dunkin' locations in Florida, bought the 450,000 square foot building at 25 Sigourney Street in 2020 for commercial tenants.
NBC Connecticut sat down with Askar in March 2020 to ask him about his plans for the building.
"I think there is value there and that definitely catches one's attention," said Askar.
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But when the pandemic hit, those plans came to a halt and the building has been vacant ever since. Askar wasn't available to comment on Thursday but someone on his behalf told us in part:
"It is unfortunate that others deface buildings with graffiti. We will remove the graffiti and continue our efforts to develop the property in an aesthetically pleasing manner as soon as practicable," said Mark Balaban with Spartan Towers, LLC.
Mayor Arunan Arulumpalum says he will be reaching out to the property owner.
"We do often put pressure on owners to keep their buildings beautiful," he said. "We're really interested in trying to get investment back into that building. We think there is a lot of potential there."
The mayor also acknowledges that there are places for graffiti art around the city, but this isn't one of them. He asks that those involved respect the building and the neighborhoods that surround it.
