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Council hears proposal for $210,000 Olympic‑themed mural on Keesel Avenue
Summary
Lori Buckley presented a $210,000 public-art proposal to install an Olympic‑themed mural on Keesel Avenue, with $110,000 requested from the city public-art fund and additional grants and in‑kind contributions from partners; council discussed lighting, sidewalks and the RFQ process.
Lori Buckley presented a proposed Olympic‑themed mural project for Keesel Avenue at the Oct. 14 South Ogden work session, describing a $210,000 budget and a multi‑partner funding plan.
Buckley said the proposed funding package includes $110,000 from the city public‑art fund, a $62,500 grant from Weber County (GRAMA), MarketStar providing an estimated $15,000 in in‑kind value for use of a parking structure (and $2,500 in cash from MarketStar Foundation), and $10,000 from Visit Ogden. Snowbasin was listed as a possible $10,000 contributor but that source remained uncertain. The budget also allocates $25,000 for wall upgrades to support lighting for the mural.
"This mural will celebrate our 2034 Olympics," Buckley said, calling the Keesel Avenue site a key connector between the Junction shopping district, the Ogdenham Theatre and 25th Street and describing the mural as both a civic‑pride piece and a potential social‑media attraction.
Councilmembers asked detailed questions about lighting and sidewalks. Buckley said the cable lighting required engineering work that took months to complete and that the lighting and mural artist could coordinate their designs; she also said she was exploring a small photo‑op 'ski‑lift chair' pad and hoped to work with engineering on a sidewalk enhancement. Buckley noted rights‑of‑access and easement negotiations with adjacent building owners would follow funding approval.
On procurement, Buckley said the city would issue an RFQ to select artists and work with the arts advisory committee and key stakeholders for selection; she noted strict trademark rules prevent use of Olympic rings or protected Olympic branding, so themes must be Olympic‑inspired without using protected marks.
Next steps: staff will continue confirming funding commitments and prepare procurement documents (RFQ/RFQ) and a selection committee composition before any contract or wall upgrades are authorized.
