Collier County Commissioners tabled talks Tuesday after originally planning to discuss potential legal action against the Ascent at Metropolitan Naples Apartments over a wall mural on the buildings east-facing side. The mural, about 5,000 square feet in size, depicts a colorful abstract renditions of a floral arrangement.
Since the County announced a potential Code Enforcement case against the developer, local art advocates at the Bayshore Arts District nonprofit have put together a petition , calling on residents to support public artwork. The petition already has nearly 500 signatures at the time of publication of this article.
"I personally feel this piece is beautiful, and it adds vibrancy and life to the space. It's physically and metaphorically replacing what's been taken away, the nature, our beautiful views. So in lieu of the perpetual building of concrete and steel structures, they're being infused with art," said Michelle Tricca, a muralist who is responsible for the "Faces of Immokalee" art installation and a member of the Bayshore Arts District.
"Art is all about bringing vibrancy to an area, lifting spirits. We've seen it happen on Bayshore, and we were really excited for that next step at this location," said Amanda Jaron, the president of the nonprofit.
The artwork is in violation of County Codes due to a drastically different end-result than what was approved pre-construction, according to the County.
"Artist renderings are exactly that, conceptual. An architectural drawing really brings the, concrete structural piece to life with engineers. I challenge you to find one that's exact in the end," Jaron said.
In addition, Commissions claim the following:
- Murals are not allowed on residential buildings
- The apartment complex is not within current accepted boundaries
- Multiple murals exist on the building (only 1 allowed)
- Murals above 200 feet need County approval
"So the artist's rendition was a sort of camouflage, vibrant conceptual floral rendition, which is taking the place of what was actually taken away. So it's been a significant source of frustration that elected government officials see it otherwise," Tricca said.
It's unclear if the Commission will indeed pursue legal action against the apartment complex, as County leaders are set to re-visit the agenda item near the end of September. Realtors with the Ascent at Metropolitan Naples have been unable to be reached for comment.