Within days of construction on what was once an empty storefront in Riverside's Five Points area, street artists wasted no time using the site's fresh plywood as their personal blank canvas.

Riverside is an area known for its creative energy and artistic expression, and the graffiti posted on the new business is proof of that expression, said passersby.

The artwork on the plywood features names, scribbles and words and a more noticeable piece, a rendition of "Planet of the Apes" characters wearing suits.

Jacksonville artist William Bell and Kenny Nguyen, a student filmmaker from St. Louis, were positive in their regard for graffiti as a method of self-expression.

Generally, pedestrians expressed either appreciation of the art or were indifferent to the pieces painted on the plywood.

“I like it when you can see businesses and artists mix, and they can put their mark on the area," said Bell. "I don’t see anything negative about it.”

Renovations are underway at the old Fans and Stoves building for MedMan, a medical marijuana dispensary.

The once clean plywood attracts the attention of pedestrians because the spot is visible to visitors and businesses on all sides of the Five Points intersection who flood the area throughout the week.

However, some Five Points businesses are prone to seeing graffiti and don't think it is a form of self-expression.

“I believe the graffiti came within the first day of setting up the site and immediately the next day there were already signs and insignia on it," said Rebecca Mitchell, an employee at nearby Owens Pharmacy.

Pharmacy employees said they did not particularly like the graffiti, and understood it was done by artists who saw the blank canvas as an opportunity to post something. They also agreed the graffiti has no effect on the business personally.

“Well it doesn’t look good, and especially I don’t like to see it since someone has vandalized our storefront before,” Mitchell said. “As far as the MedMen dispensary opening up [it] makes no difference to [our business as] you still need a prescription to access the dispensary.”

Another Jacksonville resident, Anna Taylor, said she is a fan of the graffiti.

"It adds visual interest, is a space for creativity and doesn’t quite give off the same vandalism vibe on plywood as it would so much on a business building,” she said.

When it comes to graffiti, Jacksonville residents seem to hold different opinions on whether it aesthetically pleases or detracts from the commissioned murals around the area.

Although the location is not yet on the MedMens' official website, the $1.6 million building permit posted at the construction site is under the project name for MadMen Parkstreet.

MedMen declined to comment on the building and the graffiti sprouting on the plywood.