New Mural-Clad Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater

The Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater and Duke Energy are celebrating the arts and the installation of five new electric vehicle charging ports at the theater with a ground breaking ceremony that took place recently (See feature image above.) The celebration of adding the charging stations was made complete with the edition of a garage mural.

The charging station, located in the theater’s parking garage, is distinguished by a recently completed original mural painted by the Vitale Brothers, well-known muralists from St. Petersburg. Since 1992, they’ve painted walls throughout Tampa Bay.

“Giving back to communities where we live and work is fundamental to who we are at Duke Energy, and supporting the arts is an important component in helping our communities thrive,” said Sharon Arroyo, Duke Energy Florida vice president of Government & Community Relations. “We also are committed to providing smarter, cleaner energy alternatives for our customers. Funding this beautiful mural at the new electric vehicle charging station supports both our pledge to expand EV charging infrastructure in Florida and our promise to support the arts and local artists in the communities we serve.”

The chargers are among nearly 600 chargers that Duke Energy Florida has installed as part of its Park & Plug program. The charging station helps to complete the electric charging infrastructure installed by Duke Energy linking St. Petersburg to Apalachicola and Tallahassee.

Painted in shades of blues and greens with splashes of purple and gold, the mural is a nod to St. Petersburg’s location on the Gulf of Mexico. The cool tones of the colorful mural splash across the gray concrete of the parking structure, stretching 20 feet high and 80 feet wide, and surrounding five functional level-2 electric vehicle charging ports.

“We are fortunate to have Duke Energy and its commitment to the arts in our community,” said Joe Santiago, The Mahaffey Theater’s general manager. “Duke Energy’s ongoing support plays a role in promoting St. Petersburg as a destination city for the arts.”

The mural is part of Duke Energy Florida’s sustainability focus and celebrates the company’s commitment to the arts and the community. Duke Energy is supporting smarter, cleaner transportation in Florida by adopting and promoting electric vehicle use and installing EV charging stations. For other community efforts check out this story on Drive Electric Tampa Bay.

About the Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater:

The Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater, under the management of Big3 Entertainment, is one of Tampa Bay’s top-rated performing arts venues. Home to the Florida Orchestra, the world class Mahaffey Theater hosts top-quality national and international artists, and performances – pop, rock, comedy, theater, dance, classical and interactive engagements, and exhibitions. Located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, the 2,031-seat cultural jewel boasts spectacular waterfront views and is located only minutes away from white sandy beaches and world-renowned museums.

The theater has adopted health and safety protocols to ensure all guests can come and enjoy live entertainment in a safe setting. New procedures include suggesting all guests wear face coverings while inside the venue, deep cleaning and sanitizing the theater before and after every performance, and increased cleaning measures in the lobby.

About Duke Energy:

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns a diverse generation mix of natural gas, coal, and renewables, providing about 10,200 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.9 million customers in 35 counties across 13,000-square-miles in Florida.

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