FPRA advisory board approves funding for four murals from $100,000 FY26 program

The Fort Pierce FPRA advisory board voted unanimously to fund four mural projects from a $100,000 FY26 mural program, authorizing staff to proceed with three awards immediately and to return with a final cost for the fourth before approving that final grant.

Staff presented the program expansion and said the board received five submissions and that four property-owner applications were eligible for evaluation. “We extended the mural program to all the districts in the CRA,” staff said, noting the budget and the application process. The board was asked to score proposals by visual appearance, visibility and theme.

Members discussed site-specific constraints and visibility for each proposal. For the Els Lodge site on US 1, members raised concerns about adjacent dumpsters and future development potentially blocking views; staff confirmed photo documentation and recommended focusing design attention on the most visible wall. For the Dream Tracer’s Preschool site, board members noted large trees that may require trimming before the mural can be seen from the street.

During debate, a motion was made to fund the four eligible projects. The maker amended the motion to approve funding for three murals with immediate financial authorization and to defer the Dream Tracer preschool mural pending confirmation of the final dollar figure. The amendment passed and the board approved the motion unanimously.

Staff said they will place evaluation forms in meeting packets and bring final designs to the board for review. Board members also discussed using leftover mural funds for locally painted utility boxes instead of wrapped advertising—staff warned that wraps require a longer procurement process and said they would check ownership and insurance requirements before proceeding.

The board directed staff to finalize contracts consistent with the board’s formula for mural costs and to return with any remaining details needed for the deferred site. The artist selection process will be run via calls for artists and scored by the board according to the criteria presented.