The City of Orlando is working on a “holistic plan to address roadway infrastructure” in an effort to enhance public safety and further its placemaking efforts that will result in some big changes in the downtown core.
As part of those changes, the City of Orlando will be resurfacing Rosalind Avenue from South Street to Robinson Street which will impact the current Black Lives Matter mural adjacent to Lake Eola Park. And by impact, we mean it won’t be repainted once the roadwork is finished.
The City of Orlando installed the Black Lives Matter mural on the surface of Rosalind Avenue in June 2020, following the lead of D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser. That section of road in Washington is now officially known as Black Lives Matter Plaza and has been made part of the capital’s larger collection of civic landmarks.
City Hall will launch a Downtown Quick Build Infrastructure Project on January 2, which will add murals, curb extensions and bulb-outs, and formal crosswalks at key intersections along the corridor. Other improvements include separating the current green bike lane on Rosalind Avenue with bend-ins at Rosalind Avenue and Church Street, Rosalind Avenue and Washington Street, and Magnolia Avenue and Concord Street.
A total of five intersections will receive new street murals as part of the project, including:
- Orange Ave and Pine St
- Orange Ave and Central Blvd
- Orange Ave and Washington St
- Orange Ave and Church St
- Rosalind Ave and Washington St
According to City Hall, the designs for those murals will be created collaboratively with the community over the next few months.
Ashley Papagni, Public Information Officer for the Office of the Mayor, shared that the loss of the original Black Lives Matter road mural doesn’t mean they’re getting rid of pro-diversity public art downtown.
“While this mural is impacted, reaffirming our commitment to equity and diversity is an important effort of the city’s and we’re committed to incorporating this collective commitment to inclusion into the new mural artwork that will be installed at the intersection of Rosalind Ave and Washington Street as part of the project. Like the creation of the previous mural, our intent is to engage the community in this process.
This project will not only support the goals of the City’s Project DTO 2.0 Action Plan, but it will also further the city’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate serious injuries and deaths on city roadways by 2040. Most of the intersections selected for the project are identified on the city’s High Injury Network (HIN), which uses data and risk-based methodology to prioritize safety improvements. “
– ASHLEY PAPAGNI, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, CITY OF ORLANDO
The project will be carried out in phases, with full project completion estimated for late February/March 2024.
