The Fayetteville Arts Council voted to relocate artwork originally planned for the West Avenue deck to the Fayetteville Public Library parking deck after city staff reported imminent construction at the original site would shorten the mural’s expected lifespan.

Staff told the council the adjacent private lot will enter construction in the coming weeks, meaning the West Avenue mural would be obscured much sooner than anticipated. To preserve the creative investment and the artist’s square-footage commitment, staff said the library had agreed to accept the approved creative for installation on its parking deck; the original artist, Leon Keir, will present a second mural concept for another local wall to satisfy the original contract’s square footage.

The council approved a motion to pivot the original artwork to the library and directed staff to take a change order request to City Council to account for any cost differences. Staff cautioned the project did not include contingency funds, so the change order will disclose any minor cost adjustments once fully scoped.

Staff said the original design’s augmented features — including an AR component — will remain with the mural relocated to the library; the new second mural from Leon Keir will not include the AR element, according to the staff update. Timing for fabrication and installation will depend on the library’s schedule and the city’s change-order process.

The council described the decision as a creative solution to maintain investment in a prominent public-art piece while ensuring the community benefits from the full useful life of the work.