Main Street director has high hopes for tower

Main Street director has high hopes for tower

Design aims to reflect city’s history and heritage

news@theeveningtimes.com

Main Street West Memphis wants to keep the proposed design for the water tower on East Broadway under wraps. While a modern sculpture design was approved by the preservation district and passed through the city design review commission it failed to hurdle the required three readings for approval during the last city council meeting of March. The $242,000 proposal lives to get a final hearing on April 6.

West Memphis boasts one of the largest Main Street districts in the state. The focus covers Broadway from Calvin Avery to much of East Broadway. In the past landscaping, curbs, and old fashioned gas globe style light posts marked the biggest project in the special area. Now comes a nearly quarter of a million dollar proposal to turn classic water tower at 557 East Broadway in to a modern art piece. A pair of councilmen pigeon holed consideration both asking for more details. Councilman Wayne Croom said he was asked to vote on the art without even seeing the scale model rendering done by prospective artist Randy Walker of Minnesota.

The rendering remained out of public view for the proposed art which when completed will bear a copy write. Walker’s portfolio is available to view on line at randywalkerarts.com. The artist holds a degree in architecture

and is most

noted for producing modern art with steel cables.

The mediums called for in the contract are listed as stainless steel, galvanized steel, wire cable, aluminum, concrete and lighting.

The design under consideration for the obsolete water tower entails much more than A Sapp Brothers truck stop coffee pot water tower or a king sized Wizard of OZ Tin Man. The work description for the modern art specifies building from the tank, in its existing rusty condition and calls for one of Walker’s hallmark cables each inch cascading from the rim of the tank. Up to 300 medallions will adorn the guy wires and the specifications detail a landscaped seating area beneath the tower to be lit by night.

Main Street Director Deborah Abernathy indicated plans for the art had been underway for two years, ever since the tank was donated to the city by Awesome Products. The director insisted that despite the rust the tower is sound.

“We’ve had it checked out by an engineer,” said Abernathy. “We have really worked with on details. The artist is nationally known and soon to be international. He worked with us on the price.”

Should council ultimately approve the competitive bid waiver and approve the expenditure,

work could start

as early as June 30 and completed by New Year’s Eve. Once the modern sculpture was selected by Main Streets “art selection panel,” contracting for the one of a kind art piece necessitated

the call for waiving

competitive bidding.

Funding for the project comes from the coffers at Main Street from an 1984 sales tax designating proceed to be used exclusively in the district. The project is not being funded through the city general fund.

“People need to realize this is coming from Main Street Funds,” said Abernathy. “Most of our projects come through grants.

This year we used all the grants to repair roofs In the past we helped with awnings and window fronts. All our work is on the exterior.”

After the meeting Councilman Croom challenged Main Street Director Deborah Abernathy on the whole Idea.

As often said of art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Croom questioned the landmark status claimed by project proponents.

“Why not just take it down?” asked Croom.

“Oh, no, it’s a historical landmark,” said Abernathy.

“It is not,” said Croom.

“We are going to make it one,” said Abernathy. “We are going to put it on the historic registry. We are a preservation district first.

We wouldn’t want to tear it down.”

As for the cost, the artwork comes in as a relative bargain, cheaper than even painting the tank.

“Painting it costs a minimum

of $300,000,” said

Abernathy.

Abernathy hopes to revive East Broadway in along the lines of the Broad Avenue Arts District in Memphis.

Preserving a same styled water tank with lights and paint provided a focal point which ignited art shops and entrepreneurship in Binghampton

according to the

director.

By John Rech