The Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency voted Oct. 21 to purchase 1238 Avenue D for $150,000 and to approve a $25,000 artist services agreement with Street Art Revolution LLC to install a preselected mural on the Highwaymen Museum building.

Why it matters
The acquisition extends the agency’s control over the Avenue D corridor adjacent to the Highwaymen Museum and supports the museum’s role in downtown revitalization. Board members said the property complements broader plans for the corridor and could be integrated into the museum’s programming and events.

What the board approved and discussed
Agency staff presented the purchase as “a critical piece of property” for the Avenue D corridor vision. The board voted by roll call to authorize the purchase and directed staff to execute a purchase-and-sale agreement and related closing documents.

Separately, the board approved the artist services agreement to install a mural on the museum’s east elevation. Commissioners raised concerns about construction sequencing: Board members asked staff to coordinate the mural installation with ongoing exterior construction, including parking lot work, dumpster enclosure placement and other heavy activities that could damage newly painted surfaces. Adria Moore, special projects coordinator, told the board the artist’s work will be coordinated with contractor schedules so the mural team can be scheduled to begin work when the parking lot and related heavy work are complete.

Contracting and construction details
- Mr. Chess (staff member) described the Avenue D parcel as “a critical, piece of property that we want to acquire on Avenue D.”
- Adria Moore said the mural contract was submitted for board approval to allow immediate scheduling once site construction finishes: “The plan is to wait… I wanted to go ahead and get it approved so that when the work is done on the parking lot, that they can just go ahead and move in.”
- Board members raised site concerns that could affect sequencing and cost: relocation of the backflow preventer was already completed but will require a change order because a licensed plumber must perform the final connection. Moore said building and public works staff are coordinating a contractor price for that work.
- Commissioners and staff also discussed the dumpster enclosure dimensions; public works advised a smaller (2-cubic-yard) dumpster to preserve the potential rear yard reception area under an existing tree.

Next steps
Staff will prepare and execute purchase and sale documents for 1238 Avenue D, coordinate with the museum’s contractor and the mural artist to schedule installation once heavy construction and the dumpster pad are complete, and process any necessary change orders for the backflow connector with a licensed plumber.

Quotations from the record
- “This is a critical, piece of property that we want to acquire on Avenue D,” Mr. Chess, staff member, said during the meeting.
- “The plan is to wait… get it approved so that when the work is done on the parking lot, that they can just go ahead and move in,” Adria Moore, special projects coordinator, said of the mural timing.

Implementation notes and dependencies
The mural installation is contingent on finishing the museum’s exterior construction (parking lot, dumpster enclosure and other site work). The backflow preventer relocation will require a licensed plumber to complete the FPUA connection, and staff expects a change order for that work; the contractor has an in-house plumber but staff will obtain price proposals and confirm responsibility.