Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting Date: January 7, 2026
To: Members of the Heritage Preservation Commission
From: Mathias Hughey, Associate City Planner
Title
Comments for Proposed Relocation of Sculptures from Bridge Square to Library Grounds.
Body
Action Requested:
The Heritage Preservation Commission is asked to review and approve or amend the attached draft comment letter regarding the proposal to install the Celestial Beings sculptures originally planned for Bridge Square to the Library Grounds as a consulting party for a 106 review.
Summary Report:
In 2024 and 2025 the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) approved the Certificate of Appropriateness for the Bridge Square Rehabilitation project. As part of the 1% for the Arts policy, a public art installation consisting of several large steel lighted sculptures was proposed to be included in the reconstruction.
The Bridge Square project has been put on hold pending funding for construction, however, additional sources of funding were secured to fund the installation of the sculptures. In order to access those grant funds and reduce duplicative Public Art Review Committee and staff efforts, the library has proposed relocating those sculptures to the library grounds as part of the library site redesign.
Because grant funding includes federal funds, a 106 review is required. Part of that process includes comments from the HPC regarding impacts to historic properties, including the Northfield Historic Commercial District. The library was delisted from the National Register of Historic Places when the new atrium was constructed but remains in the local district. Since the site is not considered Historic, but it is within and visible from the historic district and other historic properties, the visual impacts should be considered.
Staff have prepared a draft comment letter to provide to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to satisfy the requirements of the 106 review. HPC member...
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