City officials will discuss a project that sought murals for vacant storefronts in downtown Ocala, nearly one year after funds for the project were approved.
On Wednesday, October 1, the Ocala Municipal Arts Commission (OMAC) will discuss the Vacant Storefront Activation mural program led by Ocala Main Street (OMS).
Last year, OMS requested $3,500 from OMAC to be used towards the mural project, which consists of contracting local artists to create temporary window art for vacant storefronts throughout downtown and midtown Ocala.
On December 4, 2024, OMAC approved $1,000 worth of funding for the “confirmed building vacancies” throughout the area at the time. The partial approval came with a request for additional funding from the Fine Arts For Ocala (FAFO).
However, the city staff’s memo notes that OMS did not receive any additional funding from FAFO for the program and that storefront vacancies have changed in the months since the measure was approved.
Now, OMAC and city staff say they require a timeline and a location update and numbered invoice to process payment for the grant request.
“OMAC grant guidelines permit 12 months for grant approval and payment distribution before expiration,” read the city staff report.
Now, OMAC members will discuss the possibility of having OMS file a new application with an updated timeline and updated locations for the potential murals.
The original application for the program stated that the murals would be a reflection of the city’s “culture, history, and natural beauty.” The use of local artists is supposed to foster a sense of “ownership and pride” in the community.
Last year, the application indicated that the Florida Department of Corrections building located at 24 NE 1st Avenue had sat vacant for many years and was a “large eye sore” with “eight 10′ window sections.”
Although OMS originally hoped to add murals to several other locations in downtown, including the Hilton Garden Inn, the former location of The Corkscrew, and the former Molly McGuires, the latter two locations have already been replaced by Barons Creek Vineyards and RHN Wagyu Meat Market, respectively.
Now, the current staff report indicates that the corrections building may be the only possible location for the project.
The Ocala Municipal Arts Commission next meets on Wednesday, October 1, at 1 p.m. at the Customer Service Center (201 SE 3rd Street) in downtown Ocala.
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