I myself am having a hard time coming to a decision on the piece. Some think that $165,000 is too much for an important piece of public art, but instead I’m wondering about the timing and implementation of this piece. Was the bridge designed without the artwork in mind? What kind of results would we have had if the three artists were brought on board earlier, working in a more integral way with the bridge designers? (And while we’re on the subject… Why don’t people appreciate the intrinsic beauty of a bridge itself anymore?)

Okay, comparing a pedestrian bridge in Cary, North Carolina to one of the most important structures in the industrial revolution isn’t really fair… However, it is fair (I think) to compare Cary’s attempts at civic art to Raleigh’s projects. Case in point, the shimmer wall on the new convention center. Surely a good Architect teamed up with a talented Artist could have come up with a more integral sculpture, allowing the art to feel less applied?

I’m afraid the answer is, “Yes, but not for under $156,000.” Hopefully the three pieces to be integrated into the new Walnut Street Park will really be something to write about.

The News and Observer reports that the McDonalds that I walked to many a time in Middle and High School may be going green… If it happens, and is approved by the USGBC, it will be the 3rd LEED certified McDonalds in the United States. I haven’t had McDonalds for anything besides breakfast in years (and the breakfast thing is really out of necessity… options for a quick bite down east are few and far between.)

While I doubt such a renovation will change my dining habits, I can certainly commend Ric Richards on his decision to think long-term rather than short term in renovating the old restaurant. (If the new establishment is the same footprint as the existing, the $2 million rehab project will come it at about $480/square foot… I don’t know what your average McD’s in North Carolina costs to get off the ground, but I think it’s safe to say that this decision is based on something more than making money.)

Hopefully this will be one more step towards a more progressive Cary as far as development is concerned… We’ve had a reputation for being an ultra-conservative, sprawl-driven community for too long. Cary was the home of the first public high school in the state of North Carolina, Cary High was established in 1896. A brief look at our history will show that we are much more than just an Automobile Suburb of Raleigh, and I think it’s time to revisit that reputation. In the two hundred fifty-eight years since Cary’s founding we’ve grown a lot, more out than up unfortunately, but it’s never too late to move in the right direction.

Here’s to hoping for a more diverse, more walkable, and more sustainable Cary to come!

Julie and I took the wee-one on a walk yesterday after work as a non-television way to bring our day to a close. As many of you may or may not know, one of the key factors in choosing to buy our house was pedestrian access. We wanted a house within walking distance of basic grocery shopping, a park, etc. I was also especially excited about the proposed pedestrian bridge over US1/64.

The bridge is now open, and there is now a debate about what piece of public art the Town of Cary will be tying into this bridge. The proposed vine sculpture by Mike Stutz isn’t exactly what I’d hoped for… too literal for my tastes, but after all this is Cary. I find the alternate artist Judy Bales much more compelling, but still am dissatisfied with the fact that all the big competitors for this installation weren’t local.

With the multitude of artists in Cary, Raleigh, and Durham I find it hard to believe that there wasn’t a better choice, closer to home for this project. Alas, we shall see what comes of it. I feel that the bridge is already rather photogenic, so hopefully whatever Stutz has planned, it won’t completely conceal the beauty of the structure itself.