The Municipal Arts Commission met on July 2, 2026, at 11:15 AM, chaired by Marissa Bowen. The main agenda item was a series of applications from the City of New Rochelle to install awnings, blade signs, and signage at 111 Union Avenue as part of a federal CDBG-funded facade improvement program. The commission approved 18 applications (cases 14-2026 through 31-2026) without public comment or opposition. The meeting also included a second call on several adjourned cases where applicants were not present, and an artist certification presentation.
Good evening everyone and welcome to the July 2026 meeting of the Municipal Arts Commission. My name is Marissa Bowen. Other board members here with us tonight. To my left is Fred Spinowitz and Michael Murrero from the Building Department. We have Jelka Diana and from the Department of Development, we have Kevin Jimenez, who will be welcome to our agenda. Yes. Thank you, Rosa. So for tonight's agenda, we have several applications here on behalf of the City of New Rochelle. But we will walk through each one as we look at each application. In terms of just the time, we want to make sure that we go through some applications that aren't connected to the City of Neurochell's applications. So we're going to first go to the adjourn case and then we'll go down further down into the agenda for three new applications that we have. And then we'll head right back up to the City of Neurochell's applications. So the first Azure case for tonight is 13-2026. Application by Louis Nava to install one front lit channel letter sign at 642 North Avenue. Applicant is not present. Application by Science Inc. to replace two internally illuminated LED channel letter wall signs and reface the existing pylon sign with updated Duncan Donuts and Baskin Robbins graphics at 96 East Main Street. Applicant is not present. Application by Ruben Levano to restore three existing awnings with lettering and logo at 391 Main Street. Applicant is not present. And finally 34-2026 application by Joseph Lanza to reface existing light box with Pitl Rage logo at 51 LeCount Place. And applicant is also not present. So we're just going to head back up onto the agenda with the first case by the City of New Rochelle, which is first case 14-2026. Application by City of New Rochelle to install awning slash attached signings and blade and projecting signs at one 111 Union Avenue. I just want to provide a little content before the argument goes through each one of the applications and then to an engagement. So this project has been in the making for uh almost two years, I want to say, trying to figure out a way to invest in this community and commercial corridor to really create an impact in the experience and the economic growth and the economic vitality of the neighborhood and how it looks. But we engage with more than 30 businesses in this area. And we will continue to work with the ones that have not made it through this first wave because they're dealing with with different things. They might not be ready themselves, you know. They they might be there might not be somebody you know there anymore that we started engaging with. They they might be there might not be somebody you know there anymore that we started engaging with, so these conversations go on and on, but uh everybody we engage with is super happy with what has been proposed, and it's in front of you already, uh something that they have seen and something that they're okay with and they understand the importance of it. So we're super happy to be in front of you, hear your feedback or thoughts, and uh, and hopefully your support, you know, to proceed with the project that this is and before I just want to thank you know the department of buildings to support for supporting the department of development, you know, through this process, which is never easy, you know, to uh you know, to for something like this of this magnitude. Um he has to go through the regular process as everybody else, and we we try to coordinate as much as possible, even if it's a city project, uh, and that's why we're here here in front of you. Let's begin. Madam Chair, good evening, members of the board. Uh for the record, Robert Sandy L architect who's working on this project as already mentioned. Um we wanted to uh sort of uh as already mentioned, also maybe a consistent uh message here with these awnings on Union Avenue, and we have a couple of them or one at least on uh 4th Street in West Niver Shell. Um want to make a sort of a clean design. Um we want you to incorporate a blade sign, which we think is a very popular graphic on the building itself, not to be overbearing, but you can see uh it again being consistent. Um the blade sign itself would be a 16-inch diameter, non-illuminated uh blade sign. Uh the color would be just black and white. Um there's so many colors on these buildings that are involved and painted over the years, and even some of the backdrops for some of the canopies uh themselves that'll be mounted over that we wanted to keep these just uh some basic colors. We thought black and white would be the most primary of colors that would stand out here in this particular case. That also goes for the uh for the awning itself. Is the awning black or is it still? It's a dark gray, dark gray, yes, yeah. Um the awnings themselves consistently are two foot six high by two things wide, they don't they they're just project out square and you do not have ends. Um the lettering is is only is an eight-inch uh apron on all of the awnings, and the only graphics are on on the apron itself, uh just with the identified with the um business name and the street address. Uh let me know phone numbers, email addresses or anything else on the apron itself. I know that gets confusing, and a lot of uh is coming for the board, and I also know from experience being here.