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Davie council moves ahead with Big Statues design for town‑hall sculpture and fountain
Summary
The Town of Davie council agreed to move forward with a Big Statues proposal for a significant equestrian-themed bronze sculpture and integrated water feature at the new Town Hall plaza, endorsing the Public Art Advisory Committee’s top-ranked design and directing staff to execute an agreement for fabrication and installation.
Jeff Polman, the town’s parks, recreation and cultural arts director, presented three shortlisted designs for a significant bronze sculpture and water feature to anchor the new Town Hall plaza and the council indicated support for the proposal ranked first by the Public Art Advisory Committee.
Polman summarized the submissions from three firms — Boden/Bridal Studios, Bronze by Cooley, and Big Statues — all of which drew on Davie’s equestrian heritage with life‑sized or scaled horse figures integrated into shallow fountain basins. He said budgets among the finalists ranged from about $210,000 to $248,100 and estimated timelines from contract to installation ran roughly between nine and 12 months.
The council’s discussion focused on scale, sightlines and how the water feature would be integrated with surrounding landscaping. “I think I agree with the committee…and the ranking. I like the fluid movement of the third sculpture,” the mayor said, signaling support for the design the advisory panel had placed first. Another council member said she favored the Big Statues entry for its “past, present and future” symbolism and suggested uplighting be included as the design progresses.
Polman said the selected artist would work with Kaufman Lynn (the town‑hall design‑build team) to finalize fountain mechanics, jet placement and lighting as part of the fabrication process, and that additional presentations and refinements would be brought back to council during the contract phase.
Why it matters: the sculpture and fountain will be a permanent, highly visible element at the new Town Hall and will shape pedestrian access, vistas from the roadway and opportunities for public gatherings. The council’s near‑unanimous preference cleared the way to execute an agreement with the top‑ranked proposer and begin design development and fabrication.
Next steps: staff will proceed with executing an agreement with the top‑ranked artist (Big Statues per the advisory committee ranking), coordinate detailed fountain and lighting design with Kaufman Lynn, and return to council with design refinements and a project schedule before fabrication begins.
