Hollywood

Honoring the Dream

Hollywood pursues grant funding for MLK project

By Jonathan Del Marcus

The city of Hollywood will soon pursue grant opportunities to develop a multicultural arts project in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The city hopes to install a bronze bust in honor of King in the ArtsPark at Young Circle and inscribe its base with the civil rights leader’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Now, all it needs is an artist to fashion the sculpture, which is estimated to cost between $20,000 and $50,000, plus another $25,000 for the inscribed base. The project should take about six months to complete.

The city also has tentative plans to co-name portions of Federal Highway, from Pembroke Road to Sheridan Street, “Vision Boulevard.”

Although one proposal called for internally illuminated signage at minor and major signalized intersections, it would cost $35,000 more than the plan the city manager’s office recommended, which suggested installing ground-mounted signing, northbound and southbound, in the median at the boundaries of the name designation. The Florida Department of Transportation would install and maintain the signs at its expense, alleviating the city of additional costs. The city plans to pursue that option before considering other alternatives, said Raelin Storey, Hollywood’s public affairs and marketing director.

The entire project is planned “to blend the rich history of Hollywood’s founder, Joseph Young, with the passionate foresight of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a truly visionary initiative,” Renee Jean, the city’s grants manager, told commissioners March 6.

Hollywood resident Angela Jackson said she proposed the idea of the city developing an arts project to honor King in late 2006.   

“I felt like most of the time, tributes to Dr. Martin Luther King are segregated to mostly black neighborhoods,” Jackson said. “Martin Luther King was not just a hero to black Americans. I felt that it would be making progress if a tribute to him was included in areas where everybody goes.” 

Some commissioners, including Heidi O’Sheehan, expressed concern about how the city could afford to complete the project, especially since some previously approved projects for ArtsPark are still waiting to be funded.

City Manager Cameron D. Benson told the commission that city staff is confident they will be able to secure adequate funds through a combination of private donations, private grants, corporate sponsorships and arts foundations.

“Our goal is to bring this [issue] back with other grant funds, not city funds, and go ahead and move forward,” Benson said.

Ultimately, the commission expressed unanimous approval for the project, as long as the city could obtain the necessary grant funding.

“I am very hopeful that this all will come about,” Jackson said.