In an abrupt reversal, the St. Augustine City Commission could junk a $250,000 contemporary sculpture that had been slated to rise in the middle of a roundabout – and sacrifice $87,500 already spent on the project.
The panel initially approved the domed structure named “Groundswell” to be installed at the intersection of May Street and San Marco Avenue last November.
The board tapped renowned Miami-born, Harvard-educated artist Ivan DePena to place the work near the stretch of road connecting St. Augustine to Vilano Beach.
While some applauded the renderings, they were also met with considerable mockery online, with Facebook posters questioning both its cost and its contours.
The city has already shelled out $87,500 to pay for the execution of the contract and the completion of DePena’s design — but could abandon the project at the 11th hour.
Commissioner Cynthia Garris — who tepidly voted in favor of the project in November — suggested that it should be moved to an area where residents can exit their cars and examine it.
“If we are going to do something of this magnitude and spend this kind of money, people should be able to go and see it instead of doing a drive by,” she said Monday.
Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, who also voted for it previously, said she had changed her mind altogether and would now prefer to cut bait.
“I’ve had a little bit more time to think about it,” she remarked. “I would be okay not moving forward at all and just taking the remaining funds and spending them on what I see as a critical need in the community, which is conservation purchases. That said, I would regret very much derailing a public art program in the city.”
Sikes-Kline acknowledged the panel’s prevarications.
“We’re kind of all over the place, aren’t we,” she said.
Commissioner Barbara Blonder remained staunchly in favor of seeing the project through, asserting that the roundabout has been long neglected and in need of beautification.
“I’d hate to lose an initiative that we have momentum on, we’ve got an actual dollar investment on, at a time when all the arts are being assailed,” she added.
Commissioner Jim Springfield was absent for Monday’s meeting, and the matter was tabled until his return.
The artist, City Manager David Birchim said, had paused the project pending the board’s decision.
4 Responses
Thank you for checking on this hobo hut project. It’s a shame so much money was spent on this project to begin with, however cutting losses I believe would be in the best interst of the city. I wonder if the city even considered the cost for up keep and maintenance of this project as well as the safety concerns for having such a project at an already dangerous traffic circle.
Blonder called Nights of Lights gaudy but threw her full support behind this monstrosity. Remember this at election time, voters!
How about planting some trees rather than this hideous expensive piece of ‘art’?
Ive commented on this collassal waste of money in the past. My St Augustine city taxes are out of control already and the city commissioners are wasting money on this gaudy “art”!?!? They are all OUT next election. I go around that phony round about daily and at least once a week a car is going into the wrong lane and I have to avoid them or get in an accident. Spend our taxes dollars where it matters.