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Commission authorizes construction of Bob Butterworth Park COVID memorial
Summary
The City Commission unanimously approved a contract Sept. 17 to build the Garden of We COVID-19 memorial at Bob Butterworth Park, an installation by artist Stephanie Cunningham that uses planting, metal panels and a lung-shaped focal element to memorialize pandemic losses.
Hollywood — The City Commission on Sept. 17 authorized the city to award a construction contract to Tower Contracting Corp. for a COVID-19 memorial in Bob Butterworth Park, approving the project known as the Garden of We. The contract award was part of an item that included artist Stephanie Cunningham’s design and an on-site concept shown to the commission.
Project description: The memorial’s design includes 12 trees (representing 12 months of lockdown), six six-foot circular planting/reflective spaces indicating social distancing, and two eight-foot perforated metal panels etched with words describing the pandemic experience (for example, “grieved,” “healed,” “remember”). The central concrete element is shaped symbolically to resemble lungs, referencing COVID-19’s respiratory impacts. City staff said construction will take about 80 days with an additional closeout period; the contractor’s work will start once permits and a notice to proceed are in place.
Who advocated: State Representative Marie Woodson introduced and supported the project at the dais and thanked the city for moving forward. Vice Mayor Quintana and other commissioners praised the concept and welcomed the art placement in Bob Butterworth Park, which the vice mayor noted is in her district.
Action taken: The commission approved the contract award and the memorial plan unanimously. The item was authorized as a resolution; the contractor will proceed with scheduling, permitting and construction with a timeline of about three to four months after permits are finalized.
Ending: The commission endorsed the memorial as a place of public remembrance for families who lost loved ones during the pandemic. Staff will coordinate permitting and the artist’s construction drawings before issuing a notice to proceed to the contractor.
