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River Cafe Sues for $3M Over Waterfalls Damage
By
Billy Parker
Published Jul 4, 2009
Modified Jul 4, 2009
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By
Billy Parker
Published Jul 4, 2009
Modified Jul 4, 2009
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After widespread reports last summer that Olafur Eliasson’s waterfalls installation was damaging lots of nearby plantlife, the River Cafe has gone ahead with earlier threats and decided to sue New York's Public Art Fund and Eliasson to the tune of $3 million for an assortment of damages they say were brought on by their close proximity to one of the falls. Cafe owner Buzzy O'Keefe said, "There were 90 to 120 days of saltwater rain coming down on us. It ate up aluminum and steel. It short-circuited our electrics. We had fires on our roof. The paint was ruined, the awnings were ruined, our outdoor lights are broken, and a lot of our trees just couldn't take it. It's left the place destroyed. They did nothing." After initially denying that the waterfalls were causing any problems, the Public Art Fund did cut down the amount of time they were left on in half during through their run.
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buzzy o'keefe
lawsuit
olafur eliasson
public art fund
river cafe
waterfalls
Billy Parker
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