TAMPA, FL. (April 2, 2018) – A new sculpture now stands at the entrance of NOVEL Riverwalk by Crescent Communities. Called ‘Charley,’ and installed over the weekend, the 27-foot sculpture depicting a boat hull is a tribute to Tampa Bay-native Charley Morgan and was designed by local artist Mark Aeling of MGA Sculpture Studio in St. Petersburg.
NOVEL Riverwalk is a 394-home apartment community currently under development at 109 West Fortune Street along the Tampa Riverwalk. Committed to complementing the existing neighborhoods they become part of with innovative touches, NOVEL often incorporates public art with a local flair into its communities and has previously collaborated with Aeling.
The ‘Charley’ sculpture was inspired by a racing yacht called ‘Heritage’ that was designed and built by Charley Morgan, proprietor of Morgan Yachts, for the America’s Cup in 1970. Now 88-years-old and having designed and built about 10,000 boats, this piece is dedicated to his life work. He is world renowned for his sail boats and a bit of a legend in Central Florida.
When Aeling was asked to design a sculpture with a nautical theme for NOVEL River Walk, he was intrigued by the idea of working with the repeated rib shapes of sailing vessels and decided to reach out to Morgan, a close friend, to tap his experience with boat design and building.
“I first reached out to Charley thinking he might have some good reference information about hull design for racing yachts,” said Aeling. “Through the course of our conversations, as he told me about ‘Heritage,’ I realized Charley was a bigger part of this, and that the sculpture needed to be dedicated to him and his incredible contribution to boat design. ‘Charley’ is a tribute to this amazing man who was born and raised here in the Bay-area and is world renowned for his life work.”
Aeling didn’t have to convince the team at NOVEL Riverwalk.
“We celebrate the best of each community we are a part of and always look to add small touches that mean something big to the people living in the area and potential residents,” said Don Hellein, Development Director for NOVEL by Crescent Communities. “The ‘Charley’ sculpture is a fun way for us to recognize a native son and also really encapsulates what living at NOVEL Riverwalk is all about.”
This is the second time Crescent Communities has collaborated with Aeling and commissioned a piece of art for one of its Central Florida multifamily communities. In 2016, the company installed ‘Budding Vortex,’ a 10,000-pound, 18-foot aluminum sculpture by Aeling at the entrance of a community on North Lois Avenue. Aeling’s work is featured prominently throughout the area. He has designed pieces for the Sundial, The Florida Aquarium and the Opal Sands Resort.
Perfectly situated to enjoy the best of Tampa, NOVEL Riverwalk is located along the 2.5-mile Tampa Riverwalk making it an easy stroll to the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, the Tampa Museum of Art, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and popular dining and nightlife spots. It features studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 528 to 1,510-square-feet. Exceptional amenities include two resort-style saltwater pools, three community courtyards, a residential lounge, two-story fitness space and a sky lounge on the top floor providing sweeping views of the Tampa skyline.
About Crescent Communities
Crescent Communities is a nationally recognized, market-leading real estate company specializing in the development and sale of single family, multifamily, commercial and mixed use communities. The company creates high-quality, differentiated communities in desirable locations in many of the fastest growing markets in the Southeast and Southwest. Crescent’s development portfolio includes more than 60 single family master-planned communities, over 32 multifamily communities and more than 20 million square feet of commercial space. Its single family home business operates as Fielding Homes and its multifamily communities are branded Novel by Crescent Communities. For more information, visit www.crescentcommunities.com.
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