Jefferson City's Cultural Arts Commission hopes to encourage visitor interaction by creating a public mural downtown.
Cultural Arts Commission Vice Chair Heidi Lucas spoke at Tuesday's Jefferson City Historic Preservation Commission meeting about the group's public art vision. Public murals portraying interactive elements like butterfly wings, balloons and guitars are gaining popularity especially on social media, Lucas said, and she hopes having one downtown will encourage visitors to share photos of and interact with Jefferson City.
The mural would have a Jefferson City-specific component, whether it contains objects that represent the town or simply the city's name on the artwork.
"If we could combine that idea of Jefferson City plus the interactive nature of those types of murals, I think it would be a great addition to the town," Lucas said.
Since the majority of buildings downtown are more than 50 years old, Lucas said, the commission wanted to approach the Historic Preservation Commission with the idea.
The Cultural Arts Commission will also talk with the Downtown Association in the coming months, and Lucas said she hopes a business owner will volunteer to have the mural on his or her business.
Once the location and finances are set, the commission will open a contest to the public, specifically to local schools and surrounding communities. The winner would receive a monetary prize and paint the mural. Lucas said she hopes to have the contest this year.
The Cultural Arts Commission plans to have only one mural as of now. If it is well received, the commission will discuss painting more murals around town.
"Public art is an asset to towns because it adds to the personality of the communities and neighborhoods, so I would love to see it expand in future years," Lucas said.
Commission approves demolition applications
In other business Tuesday, the Historic Preservation Commission recommended approval of three demolition applications - 1209 and 1211 Missouri Blvd., 1124 Madeline Place, and 317 E. Ashley St.
Burns and McDonnell plans to open a KFC at the Missouri Boulevard location, said Ethan Rus, a representative from the group.
River City Habitat for Humanity wanted to rehabilitate the two homes on Madeline Place and Ashley Street, but according to the applications, the two properties were beyond repair.
Since these applications were submitted before the City Council's approval of a new demolition ordinance, the commission could not use the new demolition guidelines, Jefferson City Neighborhood Services Manager Jayme Abbott said. Demolition applications submitted after Jan. 3 must meet the new ordinance.
The Jefferson City Council passed the demolition ordinance Jan. 2, establishing a tiered system where properties 100 years or older or those located in a local historic district must go through a demolition clearance process. Under this process, the Historic Preservation Commission will approve or deny demolition permits. If the commission denies a demolition permit, a property owner can appeal to the City Council.
Properties 50-99 years old, local landmarks and buildings in a National Register District will go through the demolition review process, where the Historic Preservation Commission reviews the applications and recommends approval or denial to city staff, who make the final decision.
Properties less than 50 years old will not go through either process.
Out of the three applications, 317 E. Ashley St. was the only building more than 100 years old. The structure at 1124 Madeline Place was 98 years old, and the 1209 and 1211 Missouri Blvd. buildings were built before the 1960s.