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Take a Journey Through Wilton Manors Sculpture Walk

A sculpture here, a sculpture there, everywhere a sculpture is the goal for Wilton Manors Sculpture Walk. 

The idea of the artistic walk is from the Fort Lauderdale resident  Michael “Mike” Sansevero. As Founder and Coordinator of the walk, Sansevero is determined to populate Wilton Manors with eye-catching artwork.  

If you’ve been around the Island City area you might have already seen some of the sculptures planted throughout the town. Officially, there are five sculptures in total – three being existing city sculptures that have been part of Wilton Manors for some time now.

 

However, Sansevero’s pride and joy are the two art pieces that Sculpture Walk itself has managed to incorporate as part of Wilton Manors' artistry just within the last six months from when the walk was originated.  

The first sculpture to don the streets of Wilton Manors was the “Talking Tubes II” (by Joni Younkins-Herzog) on March 10, 2020. The lengthy gold and red Doctor Suess like art piece resides at 2201 Wilton Drive - a befitting location as it’s the home of the South Florida Symphony office.   

The second sculpture was erected shortly thereafter within a week’s time. The bold and bright orange “Slices of Heaven” (by Craig Berube-Gray) stands tall in the enclave of the Sunserve building facing the sidewalk in-clear view of onlookers at 2292 Wilton Drive.

The purpose of all this is to give locals and tourists alike an artistic experience when in Wilton Manors. An outdoor museum where individuals, couples, or groups can mosey the grounds of Wilton Manors on a Florida sun-filled day exploring the sites.

Throughout the journey spectators can pop into the many businesses along the way to grab a bite to eat, a refreshing ice cream cone, a brewski at one of the bars, clothes shopping new and recycled, or perhaps pick up a novelty gift at the candy store – there’s just so much to do.   

Sansevero’s not stopping there with just two sculptures, he's determined to add roughly six more pieces by the end of 2020 in spite of the COVID-19 delays. It’s not just Sansevero’s ambition that has him motivated to achieve his goal. The feedback from the community has inspired him as well.

“Through the process and with my initial social [media] posts about the potential for art sculptures, I detected a huge positive response and a large appetite for this sort of thing,” shared a joyful Sansevero. “Since our first 2 installations, the reactions from everyone have been super supportive, so that makes me very happy and anxious to do more.”

It’s not just antidotal praise that Sansevero has been basing his progress on, he has also received an impressive fundraising amount that has allowed for the installation of the two existing sculptures to be planted with no funding woes. Even the city itself has donated to the project.  

Sculpture Walk is funded by donations through the 501(c)3 of Art Walk Wilton Manors, both of which operate under the authority of WMEG, Wilton Manors Entertainment Group that is responsible for many of the Island City’s cultural and social events.

Sansevero’s fundraising efforts have done so well that he has enough funds to commission his next sculpture, the “Sweet Hearts,” which is also created by Craig Berube-Gray. The three-heart sculpture that plays on the popular Valentine’s Day word candy will be an adorable addition to the walk.  

Sculptures are chosen by Sansevero and his Sculpture Walk committee. As of late, the committee has been open to the public in which anyone interested can join. Just check on the “Sculpture Walk Wilton Manors” Facebook Page for committee meeting times and days or send the page a private message.

For artists who are interested in an opportunity to display their sculpture, they can fill out an electronic application or they can send the “Sculpture Walk Wilton Manors” Facebook Page a private message.

Each piece is commissioned for $1,000 and is a permanent fixture in Wilton Manors for a lease period of 12 months. Suffice to say the sculpture most be durable to weather their outdoor occupancy. And if the artist would like, their sculpture can be marked for sale.

Sansevero’s vision has come to life with a lot more sculptures to pop up in the near future. Follow and like the “Sculpture Walk Wilton Manors” Facebook Page so that you can stay informed about all the new arrivals and their ceremonial ribbon cutting.

And of course, make sure to take a stroll through the Island City to witness the attention-grabbing sculptures.

 

 

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Sculpture Walk Wilton Manors is an Island City cultural experience under the guidance of WMEG. For questions or press, please contact WMEG's Creative Content Director Jameer Baptiste atjbaptiste@wmeg.org or by phone at ‭(754) 200-2579 ext. 616.

 

Wilton Drive hotel proposal moves forward

| FEBRUARY 17, 2024

By Katina Caraganis | New Pelican Writer

Wilton Manors – The possibility of a hotel coming to Wilton Manors took a big step forward when the Planning and Zoning Board voiced their support at their Feb. 12 meeting.

Developers for the project, dubbed the Wilton Hotel & Pool Club, brought two requests to the board: to change the zoning of the property located at 2505 N. Dixie Hwy., the Five Points intersection, from Arts & Entertainment District (WDAE) to Planned Unit Development – Commercial, and to approve the site plan.

The board unanimously recommended the city commission approve both the rezoning and site plan requests. Both go before the commission at a future meeting. 

On the property is a vacant 7,448 square foot commercial building, formerly a funeral home, and a vacant single-family home. Both structures will be demolished in conjunction with the development of the new hotel, which would have 123 rooms, a lobby cafe and deli, retail space, rooftop pool/restaurant/bar, cafe and meeting space with outdoor terrace and parking garage. The hotel will occupy 20,000 square feet of the 144,000 square foot building.

If the commission approves rezoning and site plan, the project would go to the Development Review Committee for final approval, according to city staff.

The applicant has requested 15 exceptions related to parking, loading, landscaping, setbacks, minimum acreage, signage, and maximum height, none of which concerned zoning board members. 

 

Project, to be called Generation at Wilton Manors, will include 9K sf of commercial space

Kaplan Residential won approval for a six-story mixed-use development with 190 apartments in Wilton Manors, marking its first major project in South Florida.

The mixed-use multifamily development, to be called Generation at Wilton Manors, will be built on 3.6 acres at 1209 Northeast 24th Street, 1225 Northeast 24th Street, 1401 Northeast 24th Street, 2449 Northeast 13th Avenue, and 2430 Northeast 13th Avenue. 

It will include 9,031 square feet of commercial space.

The project probably will be finished and occupied by 2027, Morris Kaplan, president of Kaplan Residential, said at the Wilton Manors City Commission meeting Tuesday night.

In response to questions from a commissioner, Kaplan said financing the project probably will be more challenging for his Bay Harbor Islands-based company than buying construction materials to build it.

“Financing today is very challenging,” he said. “But generally, I think the supply chain is in much better shape than it was a couple of years ago.”

The site plan for Generation at Wilton Manors shows that about 4,300 square feet of the development’s planned commercial space would be leased as a restaurant or café, about 2,000 square feet would be leased as retail space, and about 1,400 square feet as office space.

“It’s a very nice live, work, play environment we’re trying to create with this project,” Michael Vonder Meulen, a consultant to Kaplan Residential, said at the commission meeting.

Among other actions during its meeting, the Wilton Manors commission voted unanimously to rezone part of the development site on the northeast corner of the intersection of the Florida East Coast railroad and Northeast 24 Street.

The city commission also agreed to vacate 1,000 square feet of public right of way on Northeast 24 Street and allow Kaplan Residential to incorporate it as part of the development site. The commissioners rezoned three parcels, including the 1,000-square-foot right of way and a 720-square-foot parcel formerly owned by Florida East Coast Railway from “limited industrial” (LI) to “transit-oriented corridor east” (TOC-E).

The commissioners also rezoned from “multifamily” (RM-16) to TOC-E a 4,201-square-foot parcel at 1401 Northeast 24 Street, occupied by a single-family home that will be demolished. Kaplan bought this parcel about a year ago for $425,000, according to property records.

Founded in New Jersey in 1952, Kaplan Residential moved its headquarters to Bay Harbor Islands in 2004 and has so far mostly developed in Georgia and the Carolinas. Its other Florida projects include Generation Venice and Generation Englewood on the state’s Gulf Coast. 

 

The following news story points to the failure of the current Mayor to achieve diversity in the City of Wilton Manors.  Mike Sansevero has been a leader in advocating diversity as Chairperson of the Community Affairs Advisory Board, he defined diversity for the Commission and provided steps to achieving diversity.  The Commission has obviously failed to follow-through!

 

Wilton Manors City CommissionPhoto byCity Of Wilton Manors

The Hypocrisy Behind an Inclusive City

 

Wilton Manors, a small island city in Florida, is often celebrated for its diversity, particularly LGBTQ+ inclusivity. However, a deeper dive reveals an inconvenient truth. While the city has made strides in some areas of diversity, it falls terribly short in others, particularly regarding gender and racial representation in its city commission and city boards. Only the Wilton Manors Police Department reflects any genuine diversity, thanks largely to its police chief and independence from the city commission.

The City Commission of Wilton Manors consists of a mayor and four commissioners. According to the latest data, all of these positions are held by older white LGBTQ men, with only the mayor being straight. This lack of female or minority representation in the city's leadership is a glaring omission in a city that prides itself on diversity. While women make up approximately half of the population, and their perspectives and experiences are crucial for informed decision-making and equal policy development, none are on the commission, and very few are on city boards. The last female on the commission was Julie Carson four years ago. While this composition reflects the city's strong LGBTQ community, it also raises strong questions about broader representation issues for the rest of the residents of the city.

The situation in Wilton Manors is even worse in terms of racial diversity. The majority race in Wilton Manors is white, making up 81.3% of residents. However, there are no black commissioners or senior black department heads despite people of colour making up 2.4% of the population. This underrepresentation is a missed opportunity for the city to benefit from the unique insights and experiences that individuals of different racial backgrounds can bring, especially in a city that touts its alleged diversity.

Moreover, the city's boards and committees, which the city commission appoints, also is severely lacking in diversity. These boards and committees play a significant role in shaping the city's policies and direction, and their composition should reflect the city's diversity they serve.

It's important to note that diversity is not just about sexuality. While Wilton Manors should be commended for its progress in LGBTQ+ representation, true diversity is multifaceted. It includes and welcomes everyone, regardless of their gender, race, sexual orientation, or any other outlying characteristic. Genuine diversity in leadership ensures that a variety of perspectives are considered, leading to more comprehensive and inclusive policies.

Wilton Manors has made strides in some areas of diversity, but much work still needs to be done. The city's leadership should reflect its diverse population in all aspects, not just in terms of sexual orientation. By addressing these disparities, Wilton Manors could indeed live up to its reputation as a city that values and celebrates sincere diversity.

The paradox of Wilton Manors often being the first out of the gate to shine a light of shame or lecture tolerance while turning a blind eye to its own diversity issues would be comical, if not so hypocritical. All of the city's signature events are structured for its LGBTQ+ residents and guests, leaving its majority of heterosexual residents feeling left out and not well represented in local government, especially those with children. A children's playground around 500 feet from where the commission meets has been closed for over 4 years, waiting for funds. The locals joke that if the children's park had a bar, the park would have been rebuilt in record time.

Many of the heterosexual families and residents who live in the city and were here before the LGBTQ influx have no issues with the current status of the city. Many say that we live in peaceful coexistence with our LGBTQ brothers and sisters; however, we often feel regulated to the background without a voice in our city. Leaving one person to say, "Have the gays done to the straights what the straights did to the gays?" and is that a good thing?

Even now, with two Commission seats up for election, no women or minorities have applied, and that is a very telling observation. The two white/LGTQ+ commissioners will likely run unopposed, not because they do a good job but because the city is so focused on only one part of diversity and has, intentionally or not, created a castle for an uninclusive environment.