Months after the city shocked a Manhattan neighborhood by stripping the iconic 191st Street pedestrian tunnel of the commissioned art and graffiti adorning its walls seemingly without community input, officials are once again asking artists to beautify the walkway.
The tunnel became a lightning rod for controversy in late January when New Yorkers woke up on a Monday morning to find the recognizable thruway painted white and stripped of the curated artwork and added graffiti that had become synonymous with its wall.
The city's Department of Transportation announced new beautification plans for the tunnel on Thursday. A call to artists asks for "submissions of bold, colorful designs" that "should reflect the local community and the rich cultural identity of Washington Heights."
The agency said it would choose four artists to craft a single design for the tunnel. Submissions are due by April 15.
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An unofficial landmark of Washington Heights, the tunnel connects St. Nicholas Avenue with Broadway for access to the No. 1 train. It's received attention not only for its painted walls, but reported concerns over safety and cleanliness from community members.
People in the community told NBC New York that there had been concerns of drug use, security and trash accumulating inside the tunnel, which led people to ask for better maintenance. But none said the painted murals were an issue.
Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa, who represents the area, said the decision to wipe the walls clean removed the "soul of the tunnel."
De La Rosa said, "The art was never the issue...it does take people by surprise, when they come in and history that was in the walls in no longer here." She added that there had been concerns over those who live in the tunnel, as well as the presence of hypodermic needles and bad lighting.
The January paint job came nearly eight years after the city commissioned artists to fill the tunnel walls with murals. Much of the original artwork had been painted over in the years since.
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One of the artists who contributed to the original murals said the art "was something that made me truly happy, because what that did was brighten the tunnel, brighten the community."
“We are excited to find artists to beautify the tunnel with designs that reflect the rich cultural identity of Washington Heights and create a vibrant space for the commuters who use this major hub every day," DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in Thursday's announcement.
Since the walls were made bare, graffiti artists have already made quick work of the blank canvass and covered much of the tunnel with new paint. It's not clear when those will be removed, again.
