young adult project public art commission rfq

MLK Jr. Youth Services Center / Young Adult Project Public Art Commission

SITE DESCRIPTION

Located next to Grove Park at 1730 Oregon Street, the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Services Center/Young Adult Project houses various afterschool and summer recreation programs such as tutoring, violence prevention, and leadership development for teens and young adults. As a community center, the Parks, Recreation, Waterfront Department provides recreational programming and services for residents of all ages here, but this is the only community center with a particular focus on young adults and teens, located in an area that was formerly redlined by the mortgage industry. It is home to the City’s only teen-focused recreational programming and offers free, low-cost, or affordable programming for the City’s residents, in particular our at-risk youth. In addition, the MLK Jr. Youth Services Center/Y.A.P. has been designated as one of the City's care and shelter facilities identified in the City's Resilience Strategy.

The City is using funding from T1 bonds for a seismic retrofit of this 1950s building, as well as various interior and exterior upgrades to create a more modern and flexible recreation center that is safe and accessible to the community it serves.

In 2022, the City developed a conceptual design for this upgrade through a public process including feedback from community meetings, focus groups workshops, park canvassing, and an online survey. Public feedback included the desire for public art to enhance the project and site.

PUBLIC ART PROJECT

Alongside project stakeholders, an opportunity area has been identified for a large-scale tile or mosaic application upon the East wall (exterior) wrapping onto the North wall and Lobby (exterior and interior). The total combined square footage is approximately 885 square feet.

PROJECT GOALS

• Provide an enriching welcome to teens, young adults, visitors, staff, and community members.
• Promote neighborhood connections, a sense of belonging, inclusivity, and play.
• Relate in a meaningful way to the project site, such as complementing the youth center programming; responding to the building’s architecture; celebrating or reflecting the youth center and surrounding community, culture, or lifestyle; referencing the park’s history; and/or harmonizing with the natural environment.

Timeline:

Finalists Site Visit: May 2025

Finalists Proposals Due: July/August 2024

Finalists Presentations: September 2025

Civic Arts Commission Decision: October 2025

Artist Under Contract: December 2025

Design Development Review: May 2026

Fabrication: June 2026 - June 2027

Installation: August/September 2027