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Park proposed by Whitewater mural

Photo

Photo by Kyle Bursaw

A Mural Park will be built around the Prairie Tillers mural is in Whitewater.

WHITEWATER — A group of artists and art supporters want to restore significance to the Prairie Tillers Mural, but a few business owners are concerned that the artists’ plan will remove valuable downtown parking.

Mural supporters have proposed converting a city-owned parking lot in front of the mural into Mural Park.

“There are very few outdoor art pieces that people park in front of,” said Dawn Hunter, a local artist who is among those pushing the project at 100 W. Whitewater St. “It’s counterintuitive to what the piece was meant to be.”

The Prairie Tillers Mural, designed by Caryl Yasko, was painted in 1980 and repainted in 2004. It depicts symbols of Whitewater past, present and future, according to the marker at the base of the mural.

“This really was a gift to the community,” Hunter said. “People donated money and many people donated time, and we think the community has really benefited from it.”

The Mural Park project is in the conceptual and planning stages. It has been split into two phases.

Phase 1 would involve removing the four parking spaces in front of the mural and erecting a retaining wall. Two large lights would be installed to illuminate the mural.

Phase 2 would involve removing the remaining four parking spaces in the lot, building a serenity circle and installing benches and landscaping.

“It would be something that would complement the mural,” Hunter said. “It would turn (the mural) into a 24/7 piece of art in the community.”

But some downtown business owners are concerned about losing prime parking spots, said Tami Brodnicki, executive director of Downtown Whitewater, Inc. The downtown organization, city officials and business owners are meeting to try to find a solution that works for everyone, she said.

“We’re just trying to make sure that every business has enough parking spaces for the customers,” Brodnicki said.

The group supporting the park believes the remaining 700 downtown parking spaces would be more than enough.

“This space was never designated as a parking lot in the plan for downtown,” Hunter said. “The old City Hall was there until it was torn down (and a new City Hall was built down the street). This space was to be used for parking until there was adequate parking elsewhere downtown and it could be repurposed.”

The parks and recreation board in July approved the site plan. The plan commission and city council last month only approved the concept plan, citing the need for better cost estimates.

The group now is working to get limestone for the retaining wall donated by a local company. Downtown Whitewater Inc. donated $2,000 for the lighting project, which is estimated to cost $3,600.

The group plans to seek more donations, Hunter said. The group also plans to present more detailed plans to the park board, plan commission and city council later this month.

A celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Prairie Tillers Mural is planned for this afternoon, and the group hopes people will stop by to see plans for the park and ask questions.