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Giant Graffiti Tag on Fresno Landmark Finally Removed. How Was it Done?

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City crews used a special ultra boom crane to remove graffiti at the Spiral Garage. (GV Wire/David Taub)
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More than six months after graffiti was sprayed in 20-foot high letters on the side of the Spiral Garage in downtown Fresno, crews removed the eyesore Wednesday morning.

The city rented an ultra boom crane from United Rentals which came from Arizona through the Bakersfield office. A crew of three, with three more there for training, took four hours to paint over the graffiti on the side of the elevator shaft of the parking garage at the corner of Inyo and Fulton streets.

A city spokeswoman estimated the total cost to clean at $6,000.

While it may never be known how the graffiti got on the side of the garage, the city speculated vandals broke onto the roof of the adjacent Gottschalks building and used Super Soakers or a similar device.

Difficult to Remove

GV Wire first reported the large graffiti on March 18. At the time, the city was unsure how to remove it because of the large size and hard-to-reach area.

Asked where this ranked in hard-to-clean graffiti, city spokeswoman Sontaya Rose answered “very difficult” in an email.

Securing the lift was problematic. The city crew used a 150-foot lift parked on Fulton Street. The road was closed between Inyo and Kern streets while the operation took place.

Finding an operator was another challenge. A worker normally in the street lights department operated the lift, while another worker used a long hose to spray standard, commercial grade exterior paint.

The city-owned garage is adjacent to the privately-owned former Gottschalks building. That building has been vacant for decades and is currently owned by a Southern California family.

Local developer Will Dyck previously told GV Wire he is partnering with the old Gottschalks owner to purchase the Spiral Garage and convert it into commercial and residential space.

A before and after look at graffiti on a wall of the Spiral Garage in downtown Fresno. (GV Wire/David Taub)

Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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