Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Art topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council favors Brown Park as preferred site for Miss Nitro sculpture; asks for site plans
Summary
After reviewing three candidate locations for the Miss Nitro public sculpture, the Highland Park council and staff signaled a preference for Brown Park, with Lincoln Place Park as a secondary option; they asked staff to supply simple site‑plan drawings for the options.
The Highland Park City Council on Oct. 6 indicated a clear preference for relocating the Miss Nitro sculpture to Brown Park in the Virginia District, while requesting site plans and backup options in case the Park District or other stakeholders decline the location.
City staff and the Cultural Arts Advisory Group (CAAG) briefed the council on three candidate sites: Brown Park (near Roger Williams and the Metra station), Lincoln Place Park (south of St. Johns), and the parcel immediately east of the Highland Park Public Library. Staff recommended Brown Park as the preferred site, noting visibility from the Metra, high pedestrian traffic in the Virginia District and the Park District’s tentative willingness to allow the placement.
Council members stressed practical next steps. Several asked staff to provide simple plan drawings that show the sculpture’s footprint and orientation at each candidate location so councilors could better evaluate spacing, sight lines and pedestrian circulation. Council members also noted that Brown Park and Lincoln Place Park are Park District properties and that the Park District’s final approval would be required; the parcel east of the library is city‑owned but subject to restrictive covenants that limit park‑district use.
Members of the Cultural Arts Advisory Group and councilors who had reviewed the matter earlier said Brown Park offers both gateway visibility and the potential to be a destination that visitors seek out. A staff member reminded the council that Lincoln Place already contains a multi‑piece sculpture and that the parcel east of the library has closer adjacency to residences and limited traffic visibility.
Council members’ preferences recorded during the meeting: a majority chose Brown Park as first choice and Lincoln Place Park as the second choice. Council asked staff to return with simple plan overlays of the sculpture at the shortlisted sites and to confirm the Park District’s willingness to host the work before formal allocation of the sculpture’s final location.
Ending: Staff will prepare and circulate site‑plan sketches for the three candidate locations and follow up with the Park District and other property owners. No binding location decision was made at this meeting; the council’s comments were advisory.
