Fort Lauderdale advisory board favors local, purple design for NE 13th Street "Unity Beacon"

The Central City CRA advisory board on Monday reviewed five finalist proposals to replace the existing Unity Beacon at the NE 13th Street roundabout and said it preferred a purple design by a local team as its top recommendation.

Joshua Carden, the city’s cultural affairs officer, told the board the call-to-artists produced three applicants who supplied five distinct design packages. He said proposals were informed by a community survey and emphasized durability and nighttime lighting in their concepts. Two applicants submitted two designs each; one applicant submitted a single package.

Why it matters: the roundabout is a visible corridor feature and the chosen piece will serve as a wayfinding landmark for residents and visitors while reflecting corridor identity, Carden said. Board members repeatedly cited long-term durability, maintenance and vandalism resistance as priorities when choosing a sculpture for a traffic circle.

Carden presented the first proposal, described as an aluminum structure with a stainless-steel core and purple powder-coated finish, which staff noted used recycled aluminum and included landscape integration at the base. A second applicant proposed highly reflective, mirror-polished stainless-steel works; several members worried those finishes would dull and require frequent upkeep. A third finalist proposed internally lit polycarbonate panels with a corten-steel core and a nighttime emphasis.

Board discussion focused on three practical concerns: which department would maintain the proposed muhly-grass planting (parks currently maintains the roundabout), the expected maintenance of polished stainless surfaces, and the ease of cleaning pieces with many fasteners or crevices. Members favored the local artist’s package in part because it referenced local flora and community themes and because the color palette aligned with survey feedback emphasizing uplifting, brighter colors.

Outcome: after discussing rankings and tradeoffs, the board ran a ranking exercise and directed staff to forward the top two proposals — option 1 (the local purple design) and option 5 — to the Public Art & Placemaking Advisory Board. Staff said the advisory board will hold finalist interviews on March 16 and hopes to make a final selection at that meeting.

The board asked staff to return with additional details, including clearer dimensions, maintenance plans and landscape commitments, before a final recommendation goes to the City Commission.