Batavia Downtown Art, Improvements Gets Funding Approval

The Batavia City Council on Monday approved using Tax Increment Finance funds for two downtown improvement projects:

Batavia Enterprises Mural Project

With a vote of 8 to 5, the council approved funding for a mural project for the Pamarco building downtown. The TIF grant will pay for half of Batavia Enterprises’ costs to install five panels on the west side of the building, 180 S. Water St.

Funding this project sets the stage for the city’s partnership with a private business, Batavia Enterprises, said Alderman Michael O’Brien.  And he hopes Batavia Enterprises in return continues to help the downtown flourish.  

Alderman Dawn Tenuta voted against funding the mural project.  She thinks the mural doesn’t align with the Streetscape Committee and landscape architecture firm Altamanu’s priority to make downtown safe to walk around.

The mural doesn’t necessarily make the walk downtown safer, but it will make the walk more enjoyable, argued Alderman Alan Wolff.

At the City Council's meeting on Monday, Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke recounted hearing a resident tell him about traveling 90 miles to Sterling to see their murals downtown.

“It struck me, we have the opportunity with the art studio to highlight art throughout the downtown area,” Schielke said. “I’m interested to find out what we can do here … these are the type of things (that) bring new people in.”

Alderman Dave Brown realizes the city wants to focus on improving downtown River Street, but he said the city shouldn’t overlook the rest of downtown.

Second Downtown Bridge Sculpture

The council also voted to increase the budget for the second William J. Donovan Bridge Sculpture. This raises the grant to $30,000 with an additional $2,500 for the judging process.

Since this sculpture will be the history-themed artwork, it should last for 75 to 100 years. The bridge one day could become an historical trademark for the city, Mayor Schielke said.

The city made a commitment to its residents to finish the bridge. It is important to finish the bridge even in these tough economic times, Alderman Jim Volk said.

“We want to continue with (the) process and procure a sculpture that withstands the test of time—we need to fully fund it,” Volk added.

Alderman Dawn Tenuta disagrees with Volk. She’s convinced that the present budget will provide a sculpture that “withstands the test of time.”

“(The sculpture will be) looked upon as a gift from the past to the future," Schielke said. "We’re handing something down to future generations."

The addition of the history sculpture will bring to the forefront that “every moment is history in the making,”said City Administrator Bill McGrath said in a memo encouraging the city to move forward with the sculpture.  

The sculpture is the second in a series of four sculptures for the William J. Donovan Bridge. Each sculpture will represent one of four themes: nature, history, science and art.

The first sculpture competition was for the nature theme. In the spring of 2009, “Nature’s Harmony” by Kai Schulte of Sugar Grove was installed.