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Artist presents larger Monarch Highway mural; board hears plan, timeline and funding gap
Summary
Artist Alan Gindic and city staff presented a revised Monarch Highway mural for two adjacent walls downtown (1102 Grand Street and 310 Flores Avenue), estimated at $16,000. The board provided design feedback, discussed removing a 'Flower Street' lettering element, and agreed to return the artwork for final approval and any additional funding allocation.
City economic‑development staff and artist Alan Gindic presented a revised mural proposal for downtown Laredo at the March 10 TIRZ No. 1 meeting, describing a two‑wall installation at 1102 Grand Street and the adjoining 310 Flores Avenue.
Pranella of the city’s economic development office said the mural was previously approved in concept as part of the Monarch Highway series. The revised proposal would incorporate both properties (owned by Emilsa LLC and Raul's Property Properties), expand the mural footprint beyond the original design and include "Monarch Highway" lettering and butterfly imagery across the primary façade (approximately 56 ft by 15.8 ft) and a secondary side panel (about 37 ft by 8 ft). Pranella said the total project investment is estimated at $16,000; earlier allocations and awards against the city’s original $50,000 mural budget leave $11,392 available, implying an additional funding need of about $4,608 to cover the artist’s estimate.
Artist Alan Gindic described materials and execution: high‑quality exterior mural paints, a protective sealant for sun and weather durability, scaffold rental and surface‑prep work. He said he can complete the work in roughly 12–16 working days and offered to work at night when temperatures are cooler. Gindic told the board he initially included "Flower Street" lettering at the property owner’s request but said he could remove it after board feedback that the text distracted from the artwork.
Board members discussed the design’s balance of art and literal street naming, durability concerns about painting over existing finishes, and the logistics of removing or integrating existing lettering. Staff said the mural will return as an action item next month with a finalized design and that the board would need to allocate additional funds beyond the current $11,392 if it approves the larger scope.
No final funding decision was made at the meeting; staff and the artist were asked to finalize technical and aesthetic details and return with a formal action item for board approval.
