Listen Here
By Victoria Hansen
Though the community is getting ready to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. day on Monday, Jan. 19, the mural proposed in his honor in 2022 will have to wait a bit longer.
The city of Findlay’s proposed Martin Luther King Jr. mural is delayed until construction on the downtown recreation area begins. Built on land purchased by the Hancock County flood mitigation fund after massive flooding in 2007, the recreation area is projected to open in 2028-29.
“This (MLK Jr.) project has been delayed to be completed at the time of the downtown recreation area construction,” Findlay Mayor Christine Muryn in an email interview. “We believe this makes sense as significant construction will occur in this area potentially damaging the mural if completed prior to the construction AND ensuring that the MLK mural is in a beautiful and prominent spot.”
The original plan was for a 1,000-square-foot mural on one of the concrete columns holding up the Martin Luther King Jr. overpass. It will sit on the east end of the new 19-acre recreation area. Hancock County artist Amber Kear of Hysteria Company was commissioned to paint the mural and worked with the Black Heritage Library and Multicultural Center to select a Martin Luther King Jr. quote to be put on the mural. The estimated cost of the mural is $25,000, including a $15,000 grant from the Findlay-Hancock Community Foundation according to original reports. The city originally said it would pay the other $10,000. Muryn said even though the project is delayed, funding has been set aside and will be used for the mural. Kear will still be the artist.
The Martin Luther King Jr. overpass was built in 1978 and repaired in 2021 to raise it three-feet to protect it from flooding. In 2007, the overpass flooded after massive storms from Hurricane Erin left Findlay under more than 18 feet of water. The downtown recreation area project involves flood mitigation efforts to protect the downtown area.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, flood mitigation is actions taken to reduce or eliminate potential flood damage before a flood happens. The first two phases of the downtown recreation area are flood mitigation efforts. Phase one was completed in May 2025, and phase two is underway now.
After the two phases of flood mitigation are complete, construction on the recreation area is expected to begin in 2027, with a projected opening in 2028-29. As the recreation area is built, work on the mural will begin.
“The mural is not being moved, it is simply being delayed until the larger park project is being complete [sic] so that area is in better condition to feature the mural,” Muryn wrote.
The $30 million downtown recreation area will include an amphitheater, a skate park, playgrounds, and water features.
