Potholes and Public Art

Yes, Mr. Former President
We really do have potholes now. They are everywhere in every city, between cities, in tunnels and on bridges, on main streets and side streets.

It isn’t a joke anymore. It is a reality.

When former President George Dubyah Bush descended on Norfolk in October, 2005, some of his remarks caused a firestorm of fury.

“Mayor, thanks for coming. I appreciate Mayor Fraim,” Bush said. “

"He’s here from the city of Norfolk. He’s a – the only thing I told him is – he didn’t ask for my advice, but I gave it anyway – I said, “Fill the potholes.”

The pothole joke alarmed and irritated higher ups in Norfolk.

But it was a jab that Bush had played out at various events and cities across the country, beginning in 2001.

So the message was followed by laughter, less alarm and outrage.

City officials tried to lighten the impact, saying Bush’s entourage had traveled on state highways, so, technically, it was the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Transportation and not Norfolk.

State highways or not, all highways leading to and from Norfolk and the region’s other cities are pockmarked with potholes.

Yes, Mr. Bush, you are prescient and your remarks were a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Public Art Postponed

The city of Norfolk established a new program called “Support Public Art” for this year’s budget. 

It supplants the one percent set aside in the city’s capital improvement projects budget every year for Public Art projects.

The “Support Public Art Program has prior year accumulated balances and the new project will provide sufficient funding for upcoming projects that are to be constructed over the next fiscal year, the city’s budget said.

The city approved $250,000 for this program.

“The money has not been spent yet,” said Norfolk Spokeswoman Lori Crouch. “It is set aside for future public art projects planned in the city.” 

So what is it? And who’s in charge?
 
Somehow the Public Arts District, mentioned so frequently over the past few months, has morphed into the Downtown Arts and Design District, according to a presentation by Assistant City Manager, Ron Williams.

Here are some of the points from the presentation delivered to Norfolk City Council March 5:

A workgroup was established to explore possibilities for an arts district North of Brambleton and development of an implementation plan

The Norfolk Consortium was tasked with generating marketing strategies

Urban Design Associates (Ray Gindroz & Company) was tasked with developing a master plan for the district by May 2013

The City engaged Team Better Block to create a living charette to support vision of future development and improvements

City staff has been benchmarking other cities, including a meeting with the City of Richmond

The players

Chrysler Museum director

Representative from ODU and Public Art Commission

Members of the community

City staff from City Manager’s Office, Planning, and Cultural Facilities, Arts and Entertainment

A work group has developed preliminary recommendations for goals, objectives and district creation.

Zach-A-Thon

Coming up.

Beginning next Friday and lasting until Sunday, Zack Miller and his band of brave and enduring entrepreneurs will be launching Start Norfolk3, the third series testing entrepreneurs and their ideas.

The three day event will be held at Old Dominion University’s Innovation Research Park, 4211 Monarch Way, from March 24-26. 

You can find more information here.http://startnorfolk.com/