A fast solution would be to always use a 1x1 clear .gif image in this location. The space would be the same but, there's no coding needed. Just select the image as normal and nothing would be viewed there.
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .