Design council clears 30% art concepts for First Street bridge; $570,000 artist budget noted
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Summary
Design council approved 30% public-art concepts for the First Street bridge, advancing Cliff Garden Studio's "Rising from the River" design. Staff said construction has begun; members raised maintenance, lighting glare and schedule questions.
The Wichita City Design Council approved 30% design concepts for public art on the First Street bridge over the Arkansas River, allowing the city and the artist to proceed with the next design milestone.
Staff reported the bridge replacement is a progressive design-build procurement with a guaranteed maximum price already submitted and that construction activity and roadway closures were underway. The city has engaged an artist team and construction had begun in the river channel for platform work.
The artist team (Cliff Garden Studio) presented 30% concepts called "Rising from the River," featuring a series of integrated arch and gateway elements that pop out from the bridge's side to create seating and viewing niches. Cliff described the proposal as referencing braided river forms and Wichita's aircraft-industry history; the concepts use stainless steel structural elements (visualized at roughly 22 feet tall) and an integrated lighting program with programmable DMX fixtures. "At night, these are illuminated with colored light," the presenter said, describing embedded uplights and pole-mounted fixtures that staff and contractors would coordinate.
Staff said the artist budget for the work is $570,000 and that the artist would supply the lighting system and work with the bridge contractor on installation and programming. Council members raised practical concerns about lighting glare for nearby residents and who would be responsible for ongoing maintenance; presenters and staff said the city's traffic or maintenance crews would likely be involved and that fixtures can include hoods or filters to reduce glare.
Members also discussed scheduling and next steps: staff said they expect to return to Design Council at 60% and reported project substantial-completion and final-completion milestones in early and spring 2027. A council member moved to approve the 30% design concepts so design and coordination with the artist can continue; the motion passed and staff were cleared to advance the work. Several members recorded abstentions during the roll-call exchange as the council confirmed the motion.