Public-private partnership brings iconic public art to Port St. Lucie

PORT SAINT LUCIE, Fla., June 16, 2022 /CNW/ - On Monday, June 13, the Port St. Lucie City Council unanimously approved Mattamy Homes' "Heart in the Park," a public art proposal within the Tradition community. This approval comes on the heels of a unanimous approval by the City's Public Art Advisory Board. Both Mattamy Homes and the City are excited to bring this iconic art and cultural project to the community. Once completed, the City of Port St. Lucie will have the largest Heart sculpture in the world.

Mattamy's "Heart" will serve as a signature art element and community space at Village Parkway and Discovery Way, adjacent to a commercial shopping center, The Shoppes at the Heart. First announced on Valentine's Day 2021, the "Heart in the Park" is planned along Tradition Trail, commonly known as the T-Trail, as one of a series of planned experiences, to include Stars and Stripes Park, nature trails, SoGro Amphitheatre and Tradition Regional Park. The Tradition In Motion (TIM) autonomous shuttle system and T-Trail, a multi-modal trail system, are part of Mattamy Homes' plan to connect the Tradition communities and parks to each other, all leading to town square.

The Heart and accompanying visitor center will sit atop a raised public plaza designed to align with a pedestrian walkway and promenade from the Shoppes at the Heart project. In addition to vehicular parking, golf cart and bicycle parking is being provided along with public seating/ gathering areas to allow the site to be used for public events.

The Heart is being designed by internationally acclaimed artist JEFRË, who has participated in several international design competitions with awarded commissions all over the world.  JEFRË recently was honored to have his first solo show at the Orlando Museum of Art and won the JAX Icon sculpture in Jacksonville Florida. He is currently completing his largest icon to date in his homeland called "Victor" a 24-story public art work to honor the global Filipino.  

"The Heart in the Park public art will be a testament to the inclusive, loving and welcoming City of Port St. Lucie. I'm proud to bring such an iconic work of art to the city for all to see and enjoy. This Heart will be a postcard moment that brings people together," said JEFRË.

"JEFRË understands our vision for Tradition and how integral art is to life in our community. When we saw his sculptures around the world, we knew that he would create an iconic, recognizable piece of art for our current and future residents and for visitors to travel to see," said Dan Grosswald, Mattamy President of Southeast Florida Division.

The Port St. Lucie City Council on Monday night expressed unanimous support for the project and said they were excited to see this one-of-a-kind piece of public art become a part of the City.

 "Heart to Heart will become an iconic landmark for the City of Port St. Lucie. I believe this piece of art will bring our community together, and it symbolizes a positive message of love for all people," Port St. Lucie Mayor Shannon Martin said. "We like to say Port St. Lucie is a City for all people, and now we can say it is a City with a heart for all people."

"The approval of the Heart in the Park is a huge win for the City of Port St. Lucie. It will continue our mission of Port St. Lucie positioning itself as a cultural destination in Florida and strengthen our community through embracing art and culture," added Rebecca Miller, Chair of the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance.  

Mattamy Homes submitted the Heart as part of a public art requirement with the City of Port St. Lucie. The Heart continues Mattamy Homes' commitment to invest into the cultural, community and placemaking opportunities within the Tradition community and all of Port St. Lucie County, Florida.  

Download the "Heart in the Park" Animation Video here. 
Visit www.mattamyhomes.com for more information.

Mattamy Homes is the largest privately owned homebuilder in North America, with 40-plus years of history across the United States and Canada. Every year, Mattamy helps more than 8,000 families realize their dream of homeownership. In the United States, the company is represented in 11 markets — Dallas, Charlotte, Raleigh, Phoenix, Tucson, Jacksonville, Orlando (where its U.S. head office is located), Tampa, Sarasota, Naples and Southeast Florida. In Canada, Mattamy Homes' communities stretch across the Greater Toronto Area as well as Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton.

SOURCE Mattamy Homes Limited