City of Fort Walton Beach offers $5,000 prize for winning entry sign design, limited time to apply
Fort Walton Beach, Florida – Fort Walton Beach is allowing artistic brains to imprint themselves on the landscape of the city. The Fort Walton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has announced a new competition seeking designers to conceptualize an entry sign welcoming both visitors and residents to the heart of the city’s downtown. Aimed at improving the gateway’s aesthetic appeal, the contest offers a $5,000 award for the best design.
Located next to the old Gulfview Hotel structure at the busy junction of Eglin Parkway SE and Miracle Strip Parkway SE, the new sign will become a community symbol. The project is a component of the larger CRA initiatives to encourage reinvestment and revive the downtown district of Fort Walton Beach. The agency wants to capture the special character and legacy of the city by including an arresting and unforgettable entry sign.
The design competition is open to all, with submissions accepted from March 3 to March 31, 2025. Potential volunteers are directed to send their drawings by email to [email protected] or personally to the CRA office located in the City Hall Annex Building at 105 Miracle Strip Parkway SW. The contest rules state that any artwork has to be unique and not violate any intellectual property rights. Furthermore, the City of Fort Walton Beach will keep ownership of the winning design so it may be copied or altered to fit various city settings.
Designs must be shown in a single combined PDF with no more than eight pages encompassing plans, elevation, 3D views with dimensions, and drawings or renderings in both design and engineering. Entrants must also clearly clarify their idea, stressing how it uses local historical and cultural aspects and how it will affect public opinion.
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The entry sign’s physical parameters are rather exact: it can rise up to 15 feet from a 5′ x 5′ square concrete foundation. Among the advised materials are aluminum, stainless steel, concrete-backed stucco, or fiberglass, primed and phenolic coated steel. The design has to be strong enough to satisfy all local construction requirements and resist winds up to 140 mph. In particular, the construction has to take into account that it will only have access to power for lights during evening hours, without assistance for water features or moving elements.
Based on design, creativity, practicality, and incorporation of Fort Walton Beach’s historical context, a review committee will anonymously assess all entries. Set to be revealed soon after the competition ends, the winner will get $5,000.
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For designers and artists, this competition offers an excellent opportunity to help the Fort Walton Beach community to define itself. It is not just about creating a functional sign but about crafting a gateway that captures the essence and vibrancy of the city. The CRA looks forward to revealing a design that will become a new symbol of pride and welcoming for everyone who visits downtown Fort Walton Beach while the community waits with anticipation.
Those interested can find the details here.
