Did taxpayers actually pay $300k for these orange trees? – ABC15 Arizona

Did taxpayers actually pay $300k for these orange trees?  ABC15 Arizona

More than one thousand comments on a viral social media post are mostly calling two orange tree sculptures in South Phoenix “tacky”, a “waste of tax dollars”, and even “butt ugly”.The post was made on X by an account called “WallStreetApes” which has more than one million followers. The video was viewed more than 250 thousand times.ABC15 set out to fact-check that claim and learned that the project cost even more than what the post claimed. We also learned it was missing context and a bit more complicated.The project for the trees was not commissioned by the City of Phoenix, but rather Valley Metro as part of their South Phoenix light rail extension.Valley Metro confirmed to ABC15 that the trees are part of a larger art project called "Rio” which is at the stop at Central and Baseline.

The project includes the trees, an installation on a building at the park-and-ride lot, and a statue that hasn’t been installed yet.Valley Metro says the cost for “Rio” was $350,000.“Community members helped select the artist and provided feedback throughout the design process,” A Valley Metro spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. “The artwork reflects stories, history and cultural themes shared by the surrounding community as part of Valley Metro’s ongoing investment in creating transit spaces that are functional, welcoming and representative of