Crumbling James Street 'gateway' mural in line for $31K makeover

One of the first things you see in the citywhen heading to and from the Hamilton GO Centre is about to get a major overhaul.

A new report going before the city's general issues committee on Wednesday recommends spending a total of $30,849 on a mural to replace the crumbling one on James Street South next to the Hamilton GO Centre.

The current mural, which was painted by artist Graham Muir, is located on the concrete retaining wall that is part of the railway bridge that crosses over James Street. It has been a fixture on the west side of James Street South since 2006, but has seen better days.

"The mural is in a very prominent location, visible to those entering and leaving the city through the adjacent GO Centre," the report reads. "It has been characterized as a 'gateway' to the city."

The report says the proposed new mural would be painted or printed onto a series of aluminum composite panels that are attached to the wall, instead of the wall itself, to extend the mural's life.

The report says a review of the site by staff, potential fabricators and installers, revealed that the current budget of$23,806 would not be enough. It would allow for a new mural large enough to cover as much of the wall as the current one.

"This would mean that a large amount of concrete wall would be left exposed minimizing the impact of the mural and allowing for graffiti and not meeting the project goals," thereport reads.

"Through the consultation and review processes used to review and update the Public Art Master Plan staff determined that there was additional funding available from the Downtown Public Art Reserve for the King William Art Walk in the amount of $7,043."

This will allow for a panel mural that will maximize the use of the wall."