Placement: New Business
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Approve Purchase and Installation of a Dolphin Themed Sculpture Proposed by Peter Busby for the Oval-about at Floresta Drive between Walters Terrace and Damask Avenue.
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Submitted By: Bethany Grubbs, Planner III
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal to enjoy culture, nature and fun activities.
Executive Summary (General Business): The City of Port St. Lucie will be designing an oval-about on Floresta Drive, between Walters Terrace and Damask Avenue. As part of this project, a dolphin themed public art sculpture is proposed at this location in connection with the adjacent elementary school, which has a dolphin mascot. The Public Art Advisory Board met on February 20, 2024, and recommended to endorse the Selection Committee’s recommended sculpture by artist Peter Busby meeting with the condition that staff further discuss with the artist potential alternative placing of the dolphins and the addition of a juvenile dolphin on one end.
Presentation Information: Staff and/or Designing Local, Ltd., the City’s consultant, will provide a presentation.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council dolphin themed sculpture for the oval-about at Floresta Drive with the following condition as recommended by the Public Art Advisory Board: That further discussion be held to have the dolphins go in opposite directions and the addition of a juvenile dolphin to the other end.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council amend the recommendation and approve the purchase and installation of another artist’s sculpture.
2. Move that the Council not approve the selection and provide staff and Public Art Advisory Board with direction.
Background:
As part of Phase 2 of the Floresta Drive Improvement Project, an oval-shaped roundabout, between Damask Avenue and SE Walters Terrace, is being constructed on Floresta Drive to improve safety, enhance bicycle movements, alleviate congestion, and provide more efficient traffic flow in the area of Floresta Elementary and nearby businesses. The new configuration will also include the construction of bike lanes, sidewalks, curbs and drainage. The Art in Public Places Plan identifies roundabouts as one opportunity for the installation of public art.
The City issued a Call to Artists and request for qualifications (RFQ) for the Floresta oval-about on October 10, 2023. Submissions were required by November 6, 2023, and the City received one hundred three (103) submissions from artists nationwide. The Selection Committee was formed comprised of Public Art Board members and members from various departments including Planning and Zoning, Public Works, Communications, and the School Board. The Selection Committee ranked the submittals and shortlisted the top four (4) ranked submissions to submit a Request for Proposal (RFP). The purpose of the Selection Committee was to consider the following for each: artistic excellence, context, community engagement, durability, site/placement, technical feasibility, past performance, and cost feasibility. The four (4) artists gave presentations. A virtual meeting was held via ZOOM on January 23, 2024, and the four (4) artists gave presentations to the Selection Committee. Following the presentations, the Selection Committee reviewed the top four (4) artists’ proposals and their sculpture renderings. The Selection Committee reconvened on January 26, 2024; at which time they reached at a unanimous decision selecting Peter Busby’s proposal to be the most qualified for the oval-about. The selection was also recommended by the Public Art Advisory Board at their meeting on February 20, 2024.
Mr. Busby’s proposal entails four (4) larger-than-life dolphin sculptures, to be placed in groupings of two (2) at either end of the new Floresta Oval-about. They will all be swimming in the same direction as the traffic flow, as if swimming along with the traffic. The woven and welded dolphin sculptures will be roughly twelve (12) feet long each, though they will vary slightly due to their various postures. The rods constructing the dolphins will be woven and overlapped, creating a surface that presents a sense of volume and mass. The two (2) dolphins at the north facing end of the oval-about will span approximately twenty-four (24) feet in total length, while the dolphins at the south facing end will span approximately twenty-one (21) feet total.
Issues/Analysis: N/A
Financial Information: The cost of the sculpture and related site work will be paid for through the public art fund, approximately $200,000.
Special Consideration: The foundation for the sculpture is unique in the fact that it is oval shaped, and the artwork must be integrated into the rain guard design. The middle of the oval-about will be a depressed rain garden therefore is not a strong opportunity for a prominent plinth on the site. It was requested that the artist be creative about how the artwork fits on site by potentially raising the sculpture with poles. Maintenance of the selected sculpture will be minimal. The white dolphin is not powder coated but painted. This will allow for easier maintenance and paint touchups with a paintbrush. Also, Public Works will install uplighting in the oval-about that is color changing to the holidays and awareness months. The white color will provide a base to allow the lights to have greater illumination. The lighting will be the same as the fountain located at the corner of Floresta Drive and Port St. Lucie Boulevard. It is important to note that each artist was provided with the city’s proposed landscape plan for the oval-about. Peter Busby created an artist rendition showing a generic backdrop with trees grown to their maximum maturity potential. The images do not seem to reflect the actual planting plan where sabal palms and red maple are in the foreground where the dolphins are located. The image of the dark looking trees appears to be red cedar or brodie juniper, not bald cypress which has a clear trunk with a canopy.
Location of Project: Floriesta Drive, between Walters Terrace and Damask Avenue.
Attachments:
1. Peter Busby - Frontrunner
2. Jon Seeman - Runner-up
3. Mark Aeling
4. Eileen Gay
5. Request for Proposals (RFP)
6. Landscape Plan
7. PAAB 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 City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 24065-02
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Carly Fabien, Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by Richard Berrios, Interim City Attorney.