Placement: New Business
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Torino Regional Park Restroom Mosaic Artworks
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Submitted By: Bethany Grubbs, AICP, Senior Planner/Public Art Program
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal to enjoy culture, nature and fun activities.
Executive Summary (General Business): This provides the recommended artist and design for mosaic installations at the three Torino Regional Park restroom buildings, based on the invitational RFP. The mosaics enhance the restroom facilities, unify the park’s whimsical woodland theme, and fulfill the Parks & Recreation Department’s public art obligation.
Presentation Information: Designing Local, the City’s public art consultant, will present the artist selection process and the recommended artist and design concepts.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Board recommend approval of the final selected artist and mosaic design concepts to City Council.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Board amend the recommendation and forward a recommendation of approval to City Council.
2. Move that the Board recommend denial of the recommended artist/design to City Council and provide staff direction.
Background: Torino Regional Park is a 195-acre regional destination currently under development in the northern Torino neighborhood of Port St. Lucie. Planned as the largest park in the City, it has been shaped by extensive community input and is designed around a “Play Forest” concept that reflects Florida’s natural woodland character. Amenities will include nature-themed playground pods, an interactive splash pad, pickleball and basketball courts, walking and biking trails, covered pavilions, a future all-wheels skate park, and multiple support facilities.
The mosaics will visually elevate the restroom facilities and tie together the park’s fairytale-forest theme. Artwork concepts for the three mosaic sites include:
• Skate Park Restroom: A dragon breathing fire, complementing the aluminum-panel dragon “hump” and “tail” that will be installed in the plaza planters.
• Playground/Splash Pad Restroom: A “Fairytale Forest” map depicting playground pods, their names, and the critters visitors encounter throughout the play areas.
• Trailhead Restroom: Woodland and storybook critters, featuring pine/scrub forest imagery that mirrors the trail experience and introduces park-wide characters.
Phase 1 will showcase a wide variety of recreational amenities, while carefully preserving much of the site’s native vegetation. Planned Phase 1 features include:
• Dragon’s Lair Skate Park: Designed in consultation with Action Sports Design, incorporating feedback from public meetings, surveys, and local businesses. The Dragon’s Lair meets national standards and qualifies Port St. Lucie to host USA BMX Freestyle National events.
• Pickleball Courts and Covered Basketball Court: Expanding opportunities for active recreation.
• Fairytale Forest Playground and Bugsville Splash Pad: A destination-scale play area with multiple storybook pods, shaded seating, funbrellas, and interactive water features.
• Walking Trails and Fitness Area: Shaded paths, covered fitness zones, and gathering areas.
• Support Facilities: Restrooms at key activity hubs, multiple pavilions, a maintenance building, bus pickup area, parking, and landscaping.
Developed through extensive community engagement, including public input meetings held in 2023 and 2024, the park’s master plan reflects resident priorities for expanded green space, inclusive recreation, and nature-themed play experiences. The site includes uplands, preserved natural areas, and a scenic lake, all of which shape the park’s woodland aesthetic and guide its design.
Issues/Analysis: An invitational RFP was issued on June 4, 2026, for the mosaic installations. Due to the specialized nature of large-scale exterior mosaic work, the RFP was shared with pre-identified artists experienced in mosaic fabrication and outdoor installation. Five artists were contacted; two initially agreed, and ultimately three finalists submitted concepts.
After reviewing the initial proposals, staff and the project team determined that the original $150,000 allocation was insufficient to achieve the desired visual impact, coverage, and design quality for three distinct mosaic installations. Materials, fabrication requirements, and installation complexity limited the artists’ ability to fully develop their concepts.
To ensure the artwork met the project’s goals, the budget was increased to $200,000. This allowed finalists to revise and expand their concepts with enhanced detailing, greater coverage, and improved textural treatments. All three finalists submitted updated proposals under a required Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). No additional compensation was provided for preparing revised concepts.
Selected Artist
The Selection Committee identified J Muzacz as the frontrunner. J Muzacz is an Austin-based mosaic artist known for large-scale installations and community-engagement techniques. The Torino Regional Park project will use a combination of pixel-style tile layouts and freeform ceramic tile compositions. Pixel tiles provide structured, gridded imagery, while freeform ceramic tiles allow for irregular, hand-placed components that create varied textures and shapes. The materials include repurposed ceramic tile, glass, stone, and porcelain.
1. Trailhead: The trailhead mosaic uses a layered silhouette collage depicting an enchanted woodland scene. It includes deer, owls, hawks, rabbits, frogs, mushrooms, and a small hidden fairy, combining native Florida wildlife with subtle fantasy elements. The design is intended to be visually dense, encouraging repeated viewing and allowing visitors to notice new details over time.
2. Playground: The playground artwork features a repeating fairytale forest pattern. The composition includes unicorns, dragonflies, native rain lilies, bears, bunnies, cranes, and butterflies. These elements are arranged in abstract and playful silhouettes within a structured pixel-style layout. The design invites close looking by children and emphasizes variety, patterning, and discovery.
3. Skate Park: The skate park mosaic is designed with an energetic overlay effect, centered on a mythical phoenix and fire-breathing dragon surrounding an enchanted castle. This design references the Phoenix Castle playground feature to maintain visual continuity across the park. The imagery uses bold, dynamic forms that align with the movement and high-energy environment of the skate area.
Additionally, the artist is placing a strong emphasis on community engagement as part of this project. To support this, the artist proposes hosting Pixel Workshops, where residents can actively participate in creating sections of the mural. During these workshops, participants will receive small grid templates (like a color-by-number layout) that represent one-square-foot portions of the final artwork. Community members fill in their assigned grids, and once completed, each square is taped to preserve its placement and prepared for grouting. This hands-on process not only allows the public to contribute directly to the artwork but also helps foster a sense of ownership and connection to the final installation.
Key dates include:
• June 8, 2026 - RFP circulated
• July 9, 2026 - Concept proposals due
• July 9-10, 2026 - Artist presentations to Selection Committee
• July 13, 2026 - Budget increase communicated to finalists
• August 3, 2026 - Revised concept submissions due
• October 2026 - Artist selection and notification
• October 2026 - Contracting
• June 2027 - Estimated mosaic installation completion
Financial Information: The allocated project budget was established at $200,000, increased from the original $150,000 after staff determined that the initial amount was not sufficient to achieve the desired design quality and visual impact. The revised allocation includes $100,000 from Parks & Recreation and $100,000 from the Public Art Fund. Artists were not provided additional compensation for preparing revised proposals.
Special Consideration: The selected mosaic designs should complement and reinforce Torino Regional Park’s woodland and fairytale-forest theme, ensuring the artwork feels integrated with the surrounding environment and amenities. Mosaics were chosen for their long-term durability in Florida’s climate, offering superior resistance to weathering, UV exposure, and moisture. Although mosaics have higher upfront material and installation costs than painted murals, their extended lifespan makes them the most appropriate long-term treatment for these high-visibility facilities.
Location of Project: 5601 North Torino Parkway, generally located on the east side of North Torino Parkway, between NW Conley Drive and Delcris Drive.
Attachments:
1. J Muzacz (Frontrunner)
2. Alex Kaufman (2nd)
3. Naomi Fischer (3rd)
4. Request for Proposals (RFP)
5. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
6. Presentation
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: N/A