City Council greenlights new mural for parking garage

DOWNEY – The Downey City Council on Tuesday approved a contract with Stay Arts to install a large-scale mural on the city-owned parking structure in Downtown Downey.

The mural will be installed on the structure’s west-facing wall along La Reina Street and is based on Concept 2 – Option B, a postcard-style design celebrating Downey’s historic landmarks and civic identity. Each letter of the word “DOWNEY” features artwork highlighting a specific piece of the city’s past:

D – The Kaufmann Building/Vultee Aircraft Rotunda
O – The Rives Mansion
W – The Downey city flag
N – An Apollo spacecraft atop a Saturn rocket
E – The Casa de Parley Johnson
Y – The Downey Grammar School arch

An orange tree extends above the lettering as a nod to the city’s agricultural roots, while the Space Shuttle Columbia—reflecting Downey’s aerospace legacy—is illustrated in the lower left corner. A faint street-grid map of Downey serves as the mural’s backdrop.

Stay Arts, a Downey-based nonprofit, was selected through a competitive Request for Proposals in 2024. According to the staff report, the group ranked highest among four applicants for its community outreach, locally rooted concepts, and proven record of public art experience.

The mural’s artist, Tony Reyes, is a Downey native and co-founder of Mastermind Murals. His portfolio includes large-scale projects for San Diego State University, FOX, Universal Studios, the City of Huntington Beach, and multiple law-enforcement agencies. Reyes is known for blending detailed realism with bold, contemporary design—an approach city officials said aligns with their goal of creating a standout visual landmark for Downtown Downey.

Under the approved agreement, Stay Arts will receive $93,422 from the city’s Arts in Public Places Fund. The fund is supported by development fees and restricted for public art uses; no General Fund dollars will be spent.

The project is expected to begin in January 2026 and take roughly 10 weeks to complete, including design revisions, wall preparation, mural installation, and application of UV and anti-graffiti coatings.

City officials have discussed adding a mural to the parking structure since 2023 as part of a broader effort to enhance Downtown Downey through public art and beautification initiatives.

The agreement was approved on a 3-0 vote without discussion. Councilman Mario Trujillo abstained, and Councilwoman Claudia M. Frometa was absent.