Arts Commission Approves New Mandate For Art Project

Jaume Plensa had designed a plaza for the newly renovated Fayetteville Street. The plaza included water and 30-foot-high lights, but some city leaders were concerned that the art project blocked the view from the State Capitol to Memorial Auditorium.

New guidelines set forth by the arts commission state that the project can't block the view down Fayetteville Street, and traffic must pass through the plaza instead of around it.

Earlier this month, the Raleigh City Council passed along the proposal for the multimillion-dollar project to the Raleigh Arts Commission for review. The commission then contacted Plensa to see if he was willing to work on a compromise.

Plensa said he is excited to move forward with the project now that he has a clearer vision of what the city wants. His agent said the changes will likely force him to start from scratch.