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| Information |
| TITLE: |
| Consideration and Approval of Contract: Artist Services Contract with Haddad/Drugan LLC for $530,451 for two artworks for the Downtown Connection Center. Art Glass Fabrication & Delivery; and Southside Grove Sculpture Fabrication, Delivery & Installation. |
| STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: |
- Approve artist services contract for the Art Glass and the Southside Grove Sculpture at the Downtown Connection Center (DCC) with Haddad|Drugan LLC for $530,451.
- Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
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| Executive Summary: |
At the January 31, 2023 Work Session, City Council reviewed and responded positively to the public art concepts recommended by the Beautification and Public Art Commission (BPAC). The proposed public art consists of: Art Glass, and a Southside Grove Sculpture. It is designed for the DCC being constructed on west Phoenix Avenue, just east of Milton Road. The City Council is being asked to approve a services contract to the artist team to coordinate the fabrication and delivery the Art Glass artwork, and the fabrication, delivery, and installation of the Southside Grove Sculpture artwork.
The full agenda and Council package for the January 31, 2023 Work Session can be found here: https://agenda.flagstaffaz.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=1&get_year=2023&dsp=agm&seq=7013&rev=0&ag=3654&ln=44449&nseq=6993&nrev=0&pseq=7016&prev=0#ReturnTo44449
The Art Glass:
The Art Glass is luminous art. It will be integrated into the main entry of the new DCC building, which should have its groundbreaking in February 2023. The Art Glass on the south facades is over the front door and faces Phoenix Ave, and then wraps to the east facade facing the future bus bays and civic space. The art draws from elements of the Mountain Line logo and Flagstaff’s natural beauty, and fuses those elements with color and light. Using a graphic technique, the design overlays, into a unique composition, the imagery of a mountain lion, the San Francisco peaks as viewed from the DCC, and ponderosa pines in three different colors (blue, green, red). The artwork will have a different presence at night than during the day. In daylight, the multiple colors and images are superimposed. At night different colored back lights will highlight the individual layers of the overlapped images on the south facade, making each image pop as the other images recede, creating a gentle morphing through the series of colorful illuminations. The east facade will also be back-lit as the image of the ponderosa pines alone wraps around from the front facade. The architect and the artist team worked diligently to align the glass mullions and support features so that the art glass and architectural features are complementary, enhancing each other.
The Southside Grove Sculpture:
The "Southside Grove” is an immersive sculpture, has a meet-me-here presence, but also is reflective of natural and cultural history, especially that of the Southside but also Flagstaff and the surrounding region. The primary elements of the sculpture are:
- six ponderosa pine and telescope inspired “trunks” made from weathered steel, positioned in a circle to form a grove and to reflect the strong circle of community that is the Southside;
- all of the trunks have different cultural symbols etched into each representing important cultures that have come together as community in Flagstaff;
- five of the trunks are etched with a bark texture and have “branches” that end in prisms that catch and cast spectrums of color, and star clusters of luminous green needles that glow in the sunlight;
- the grove is aligned to mark the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes at sunrise and sunset and the largest trunk positioned South more strongly references a telescope and works as a sun portal casting a beam of light at noon on the summer solstice onto a “Time-Table” located at the center of the grove;
- the top of the south trunk also includes a wind activated bell-like feature that creates a chime-like sound when windy;
- in the center of the grove, a circular granite “Time-Table” is etched with tree rings that contain significant natural and cultural events in astronomy, of Indigenous peoples, of the region, and of the Southside.
While strong and durable sculptural forms are created with steel, the variety of finishes and details are layered to create a softer organic appearance and experience. Hence it is anticipated that the Southside Grove sculpture will create a natural rendezvous and visual landmark, but also have a strong experiential quality once there.
The Southside Grove Sculpture initially will be installed within a landscaped area adjacent the entry plaza of the new building, during phase one of the DCC Project. The sculpture will later be moved into a new civic space east of the future bus bays which will be constructed during phase two of the DCC Project. The relocation is necessitated by the Rio de Flag Flood Control Project work by the Army Corps of Engineers in the same area as the DCC. While the schedule and length of time between the phases has not yet been set, the current estimate is between four and eight years.
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| Financial Impact: |
Funding is available for this contract in the Council approved 5-year plan for the Beautification Fund with $470,000 in FY2023-24 and $100,000 in FY2024-25. The Beautification Fund is supported by voter approved Bed, Board, & Beverage tax revenue and may only be used for purposes of Beautification.
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| Policy Impact: |
No impact. This contract does, however, reflect our new practices in public art, including the following elements below, which will be codified in guidelines at some point in the future:
- Artist Selection Panels: The City is implementing a new process for artist selection to (a) increase inclusivity of the community and diversity in the selection of public art and beautification, and (b) better align with current ‘best practices’ for artist selection.
- Inclusion of Artist on Design Teams: The City is shifting our processes to bring artists in earlier in the design phase when art and beautification are part of a larger project to help create more integrated pieces and, where possible and appropriate, bring an artistic viewpoint to project design. For example, rather than adding art at the end of a project, it may be integrated into infrastructure such as walls, floors or seating.
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| Connection to PBB Priorities/Objectives, Carbon Neutrality Plan & Regional Plan: |
This project and contract are related to several Priority-Based Budgeting (PBB) Key Community Priorities, including:
- Livable Community: The inclusion of art in the new Downtown Connection Center creates a more welcoming, vibrant and beautiful public space in the city’s historic core.
- Robust Resilient Economy: The project adds to community draw for tourists and locals alike in a new and important hub for transportation.
- Inclusive and Engaged Community: This project includes community outreach for input on design elements by the artist and city staff.
- Sustainable, Innovative Infrastructure: This project allows for innovative, creative integration of designs.
This project also reflects the following Regional Plan Goals and Policies:
Goal CC.3. Preserve, restore, enhance, and reflect the design traditions of Flagstaff in all public and private development efforts.
Goal CC.4. Design and develop all projects to be contextually sensitive, to enhance a positive image and identity for the region.
Goal CC.5. Support and promote art, science, and education resources for all to experience. (Including: Policy CC.5.3. Encourage the integration of art into public and private development projects.)
Goal LU.3. Continue to enhance the region’s unique sense of place within the urban, suburban, and rural context.
Goal LU.9. Focus reinvestment, partnerships, regulations, and incentives on developing or redeveloping urban areas.
Goal LU.11. Prioritize the continual reinvigoration of downtown Flagstaff, whose strategic location, walkable blocks, and historic buildings will continue to be a vibrant destination for all.
Goal LU.17. Protect, manage, and enhance the region’s Special Planning Areas to benefit the whole community.
Goal LU.18. Develop well designed activity centers and corridors with a variety of employment, business, shopping, civic engagement, cultural opportunities, and residential choices.
Goal PF.2. Provide sustainable and equitable public facilities, services, and infrastructure systems in an efficient and effective manner to serve all population areas and demographics. (Including: Policy PF.2.3. Provide accessible public facilities and services in strategic locations. Policy PF.2.4. Support quality civic design for all public facilities.)
Goal NH.2. Look to downtown Flagstaff as the primary focal point of the community character. (Highlighting Policy NH.2.1. Encourage the rehabilitation of historic downtown structures and contextual new structures as office, retail, entertainment, and residential space to reinvigorate the area as a destination of culture, shopping, government, and the arts.)
Goal ED. 6. Tourism will continue to provide a year-round revenue source for the community, while expanding specialized tourist resources and activities.
Goal ED.7. Continue to promote and enhance Flagstaff ’s unique sense of place as an economic development driver. (Including:
Policy ED.7.1. Support planning, design, and development that positively, creatively, and flexibly contribute to the community image.)
Policy T.1.7. Coordinate transportation and other public infrastructure investments efficiently to achieve land use and economic goals.
Goal T.4. Promote transportation infrastructure and services that enhance the quality of life of the communities within the region. (Including: Policy T.4.1. Promote context sensitive solutions (CSS) supportive of planned land uses, integration of related infrastructure needs, and desired community character elements in all transportation investments, and Policy T.4.3. Design transportation facilities and infrastructure with sensitivity to historic and prehistoric sites and buildings, and incorporate elements that complement our landscapes and views.)
Goal T.7. Provide a high-quality, safe, convenient, accessible public transportation system, where feasible, to serve as an attractive alternative to single-occupant vehicles. (Including: Policy T.7.1. Cooperate with Mountain Line in developing and implementing the five-year transit master planning goals and objectives to continuously improve service, awareness, and ridership.)
Goal T.11. Build and sustain public support for the implementation of transportation planning goals and policies, including the financial underpinnings of the Plan, by actively seeking meaningful community involvement. (Including: Policy T.11.5. Promote effective intergovernmental relations through agreed-upon procedures to consult, cooperate, and coordinate transportation-related activities and decisions, including regional efforts to secure funding for the improvement of transportation services, infrastructure, and facilities.)
Southside Neighborhood Specific Plan: The new Southside plan supports these activities, such as stating “Opportunities for public art are highly prized” (Chapter 2 page 25). Outdoor public spaces are also emphasized in the plan. This contract also supports “Encourage the Southside community work with Mountain Line on the Downtown Connection Center design” on page 54. |
| Has There Been Previous Council Decision on This: |
Council approved a design contract for this artist team on Dec 1, 2020 (https://agenda.flagstaffaz.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=12&get_year=2020&dsp=agm&seq=5032&rev=1&ag=1147&ln=26891&nseq=5051&nrev=1&pseq=5029&prev=1#ReturnTo26891 ).
Council heard a presentation on the art concepts on January 31, 2023
(https://agenda.flagstaffaz.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=1&get_year=2023&dsp=agm&seq=7013&rev=0&ag=3654&ln=44449&nseq=6993&nrev=0&pseq=7016&prev=0#ReturnTo44449.
Council has previously approved the FY 2023 Beautification 5-Year Plan and authorized the FY 2023 budget for this project.
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| Options and Alternatives: |
- Approve the contract award and go forward with the fabrication and delivery of the Art Glass, and the fabrication, delivery and installation of the Southside Grove Sculpture
- Council may request changes to the contract which may delay implementation and inclusion of the artwork in the DCC project
- Reject the contract award and give direction to staff. This will prevent these artworks from being implanted.
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| Background/History: |
Purchasing staff published a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RSOQ) solicitation for Artistic Services for Downtown Connection Center Art in the Arizona Daily Sun on September 13 and September 20, 2020 and posted the solicitation to the City of Flagstaff’s PlanetBids Website on September 8, 2020. On September 30, 2020, the City received 13 Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from Artist firms. A seven- member Selection Committee reviewed and evaluated the statements. Based upon the numerical scoring of the written SOQs, the Selection Committee identified the most qualified Firm to perform the engineering professional services for the Project and recommended to commence negotiations for a scope and fee proposal to be provided by Haddad|Drugan LLC. Final scores of all firms are as follows:
Haddad Drugan, LLC 662
Social Space LLC 648
James Carpenter Design Associates Inc. 624
zischke studio 622
Willco Art and Design 620
Zokaites Sculpture LLC 602
Five Moores Enterprises 570
Summer Kitchen Studios 568
Mary Shindell 559
Hans van Meeuwen LLC 525
Brailsford Public Art 502
Four Lizard Studios LLC 463
Robin Wallenfang 427
Haddad|Drugan LLC demonstrated, a clear recognition of the knowledge and experience needed to represent the City’s vision in this undertaking, as well as understanding the schedule and collaboration requirements for completing this project.
City Council approved award of design services contract on December 1, 2020 with Haddad/Drugan LLC, the artist team of Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan. The artist team was charged to work with Mountain Line’s design team to identify and design multiple public art or beautification projects/elements that integrate with the new Downtown Connection Center project. The original contract of $25,000 took this design work to 60%, and a subsequent amendment in the amount of $22,000 is taking the Art Glass and Southside Grove sculpture art concepts to 100% of design.
The agenda and full Council package for the December 1, 2020 contract approval can be found here: https://agenda.flagstaffaz.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=12&get_year=2020&dsp=agm&seq=5032&rev=1&ag=1147&ln=26891&nseq=5051&nrev=1&pseq=5029&prev=1#ReturnTo26891
Best practices in the field of public art were utilized in all stages of design. Vested community members were on the selection panel. Prior to design commencement, a broad community survey was conducted for which approximately 70 responses were received, and a photo contest was run to provide images to inspire the artist team. Also prior to design commencement, the artist team met with a group of Southside residents and business owners on site, met with the City team for the Rio de Flag project, participated in a walking tour with the Historic Preservation Officer and administrator of the Southside Plan, did regional hiking, and went to Lowell Observatory among other cultural centers. The artist team then came up with a master plan of about fifteen (15) project ideas. Through vetting with the design team and Mountain Line’s Southside Stakeholder group, five (5) project ideas emerged. These five ideas were presented in public meetings with Mountain Line in the Fall of 2021 for feedback and all five went forward based on responses. Three (3) of these ideas will be developed by other artists. This artist team took two (2) ideas, Art Glass and the Southside Grove sculpture, and developed the concepts while working with the design team to integrate the art within the evolving design of the DDC. The developed concepts were presented for comment to the original selection panel members, the Southside Community Association, and Mountain Line’s Southside Stakeholder group and Boards in the Spring of 2022. The artist team made some modifications, and BPAC at its May 2022 meeting approved its recommendation to City Council for Council approval of the Art Glass, and provisionally recommended the Southside Grove sculpture with some changes. The artist team incorporated the direction and other community and upper management comments into the features of the sculpture, and at the November 2022 BPAC gave its full recommendation to Council to approve the Southside Grove sculpture. Staff sought the input of the Indigenous Commission and has recommendations from the Southside Community Association for cultural submissions for the project. Staff reviewed the concepts with Risk Management for safety. No changes were sought.
Staff presented the art concepts to Council in a work session on January 31, 2023
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| Community Involvement: |
| See Background/History above. Further vetting of the cultural and historical text in the Time Table element of the Southside Grove Sculpture with the Southside and Indigenous communities will occur in the upcoming year. |
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