7-foot steel cardinal set to land in The Fan

State of play: Richmond's Planning Commission last week unanimously voted to accept the steel cardinal as a public art gift from local developer Markham Planning, The Richmonder reports.

• Markham is building the Parkline townhomes project on the lot adjacent to where the sculpture would go near Lamplighter Coffee and the pedestrian bridge over the Downtown Expressway.
• The developer said it'd cover all costs and upkeep.
• Dubbed "Cardinal Points," the 7-foot-2-inch sculpture is from local artist Noah Scalin, whom Markham commissioned. It'll perch on a concrete base.

Zoom in: Scalin says the piece pays homage to the state bird while acknowledging "the devastating reality of divided communities" through redlining and "the possibility of reconnection," per his comments in city documents.

• Shelves within the bird are meant to encourage community interaction, through "small offerings, book sharing" or "inspirational notes."

• The developer's intentions are to keep the dead end from becoming a trash dumping ground and home to clusters of errant super cans, which it says it used to be.
• It hopes public art will help keep the area trash-free.

What's next: The mayor's office has to sign off on the gift before it can be installed, but city offices were closed Friday and Monday due to snow.