Fiscal Note
The reconstruction of the 500-600 Blocks of State Street, pursuant to the adopted State Street Design Project Plan (including Frances Plaza) is included in the adopted 2008 Capital Budget (Agency 12, Project 1). $300,000 is reserved in fund CS560-58250-810284 for this component of that project. The estimated project cost is $240,000 for project design and fabrication ($10,000 in design costs have already been expended). An additional $60,000 will be held in reserve for contingencies.
Title
Approving the initial concept designs and authorizing the Mayor and the City Clerk to execute an agreement for design, fabrication and inspection of installation between the City of Madison and Myklebust, Sears, & Sons for creating a site specific public art water feature for Frances Plaza.
Body
WHEREAS, in March 2002 the Common Council adopted the Public Art Framework and Field Guide for Madison, Wisconsin and recommendations contained in the Framework, including a recommendation that the Madison Arts Commission focus on City capital projects as a primary way to introduce public art into the life of the City; and
WHEREAS, in April of 2002 the Madison Common Council unanimously adopted the Conceptual Design Plan for State Street, which included an emphasis on including public art as a component of the street's redesign, including a water feature in the 500 or 600 block phase of the State Street reconstruction project; and
WHEREAS, on December 4, 2007 the Common Council approved plans and specifications for the reconstruction of the 500 and 600 blocks of State Street, which included the Frances Plaza as the selected site of this special feature, and included directives for Speedway Sand and Gravel to lay appropriate utilities to the site in order to prepare the infrastructure for placement of the water feature; and
WHEREAS, the Madison Common Council approved Resolution Number 08-00271, I.D. Number 08611, establishing the Frances Plaza Public Art Selection Committee and outlining a process to select an artist or team of artists to create public art for Frances Plaza; and
WHEREAS, the selection process involved the Madison Arts Commission selecting five finalists to submit design concepts to the selection committee to make a recommendation of the Madison Arts Commission and the State Street Design Project Oversight Committee as the lead; and
WHEREAS, on June 5, 2008, the selection committee recommended the commission be awarded to either Tom Askman, their first choice, or the team Myklebust, Sears, & Sons, their second choice; and
WHEREAS, on June 10, 2008 the Madison Arts Commission, recommended the commission be awarded to either Roger Stoller and Howard Ben Tré; and
WHEREAS, on July 24, 2008 the State Street Design Project Oversight Committee recommended the commission be awarded to Myklebust, Sears, & Sons, citing the proposal's artistic merit; the site-specific nature of the design in the way that it addresses Madison's topography, history, and appropriately alludes to the City's relationship with both the University and the State; the likelihood of the project staying within the budget; and a belief that the long-term maintenance budget will remain the most fiscally manageable of all of the proposed designs; and
WHEREAS, Myklebust, Sears, & Sons will be contractually required to collaborate with appropriate City of Madison staff and commissions in finalizing the design details of the feature;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Madison Common Council approves the concept designs of Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Gray Sears, a partnership organized under the name of Myklebust, Sears, & Sons for a site specific public art water feature for Frances Plaza; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized to execute an agreement for $230,000 for the design, fabrication and inspection of installation between the City of Madison and Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Gray Sears, a partnership organized under the name of Myklebust, Sears, & Sons.