A removable lightweight, shallow, “limestone” tray made of Styrofoam caps the “brick” planter box. Filled with a carpet of Sedum, the living vegetation makes this “planter” look very real, indeed. If not for some required caution and number stickers the fact that it is really a utility box in disguise would not be discovered by most people. The “brick” is a photo reproduction of the actual brick on the mailbox structure behind the finished planter, applied as a “graphic wrap” to the box by local company Image 360. Note the other utility box in the background awaits its planter tray to complete its disguise.
An Uptown “First”. Uptown Development’s Project Manager Mike Wills approached Traverse City Light and Power with this idea back in March and the TCLP board liked the idea so much it adopted an Art on Infrastructure policy to allow creative and artistic treatments to be applied to their transformers and utility boxes throughout the City. Interlochen art students will be creating a number of designs that a property owner or “sponsor” can select from. Or, a custom design can be submitted for approval, such as the Uptown planter design. The property owner or sponsor bears cost of the enhancements.