Fort Lauderdale, Florida [October 9, 2023] – In just a few weeks, the site of the former Searstown will become a canvas for some of South Florida’s most accomplished mural painters. Aimco has commissioned local artists to paint murals on the prominent corner of Federal Highway and Sunrise Boulevard. Located at 901 N. Federal Highway, the site will become home to one of Aimco’s mixed-use developments in Fort Lauderdale.

The artists will transform a long construction fence surrounding a portion of the site into lively murals that reflect the spirit of Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village Neighborhood. The artists will commence work on the art installation for public display on October 20. Their task is to cover 600 linear feet of construction fencing. The project is expected to be completed by Nov. 1. 

“To Aimco, understanding and incorporating the fabric of a community into our developments is a high priority,” said Derek Ullian, Aimco’s SVP of Development in South Florida. “Turning a construction fence into a canvas for our region’s most prominent muralists was a natural way to show Aimco’s deep commitment to fostering Flagler Village’s identity as a community that embraces the arts. We’re grateful for the tremendous support and collaboration of Art+Light+Space, which facilitated our partnership with these renowned muralists.”

Art+Light+Space is a public art and design studio that explores the nexus of where art meets technology. The nonprofit works collaboratively with cities, developers, companies, artists, lighting designers and fabricators to create one-of-a-kind, architecturally integrated artworks. The forces behind this organization – which seeks to rally philanthropic support around sustaining the artist community – include property owners Doug McCraw and Lutz Hofbauer, who created the Flagler Village’s FATVillage™ Arts District.

The muralists selected for the Searstown Mural Project are:

Georgeta Fondos: Her work will depict some enlarged bird portraits from the Everglades in an Audubon style: an egret, a blue heron, a roseate, etc. with open beaks, symbolizing a call for protection, a message of conservation and preservation.

HOXXOH / Douglas Hoekzema: The Miami-based contemporary artist focuses on concepts such as sacred geometry and time to guide his artistic practice.

Lori Pratico: The artist will combine bright colors, bold words, and geometric shapes to create a vibrant and eye-catching mural. Her artwork will depict the words “BUILD EACH OTHER UP” to represent both the building/construction of a new structure and the positive message of building up a community.

Christian Feneck: His mural will reflect studio work that explores the relationship between color and space. In addition to layered color fields of linear perspective, he will include patterns derived from an architectural graphic language and his personal history.

Leah Brown: Her mural will highlight an intricate surrealistic scene based on her ongoing dream-based narrative in a hard-edged, illustrative style, whereby the hair of three young women swirls around the scene of animals and architecture.

Remote: This artist plans to create a light-to-dark, warm-to-cool color gradient from the top to the bottom of the wall. From there, he will add his signature geometric overlay pattern on top of the gradient, visually creating depth and movement throughout the piece.

Christopher Ian Macfarlane:  As a South Floridian cartoonist who focuses mainly on animation, this muralist decided to come up with a frame-by-frame depiction of an alligator galloping. It’s a nod to Eadweard Muybridge’s “The Horse in Motion” from 1878. This was the first instance of motion being captured on film.

Nico Suave: The muralist’s artwork will showcase a vibrant, breathtaking spectacle of Dobermans gracefully darting through a lush field, their elegant forms set against a tapestry of wildflowers, plants, and whimsical mushrooms, all awash in the golden hues and rosy pinks of a setting sun.

The 901 North Mural Project will bring vibrancy to a high-profile corner that has been blighted and neglected for many years.

The 901 North development project is planned as a three-tower mixed-use development with 1.8 million square feet of space, including 797 residential units, 168 hotel rooms, and 175,000 square feet of commercial space. Once completed, the development will feature an expansive pedestrian park at ground level named The Grove, with lush landscaping and inviting retail spaces, a connection to the LauderTrail system, and a reimagined 9^th Street with vibrant trees.

This site is a key component of Aimco’s larger vision to redevelop the entire 8.8 acres it acquired from RK Centers in June 2022. Two additional parcels are located on the south side of NE 9^th Street. Current plans for those two parcels include two market halls, artist studios, and residential units.

About Aimco

Aimco is a diversified real estate company primarily focused on value add and opportunistic investments, targeting the U.S. multifamily sector. Aimco’s mission is to make real estate investments where outcomes are enhanced through our human capital so that substantial value is created for investors, teammates, and the communities in which we operate. Aimco is traded on the New York Stock Exchange as AIV. For more information about Aimco, please visit our website www.aimco.com.