The pedestal that once held the Columbus statue in Grant Park was removed Thursday in preparation for a replacement of “rotating art,” infuriating the Italian-American civic group that was still hoping for the statue’s return.
Newly appointed Chicago Park District Supt. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa issued a statement saying the temporary art would “celebrate Chicago’s diverse communities” in a proposed “Peoples’ Plaza.” The new plaza is expected to open in late summer or early fall after pavement restoration.
Ron Onesti, president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, viewed the move as a betrayal of the innovative agreement he cut with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration nearly three months ago.
The deal called for the Columbus statue in Arrigo Park to be “loaned” to the civic committee for display in a new Chicago Museum of Italian Immigration on Taylor Street.
The Joint Civic Committee was hoping that deal would be a prelude to returning the other Columbus statue to Grant Park, with security measures that could include surveillance cameras and plexiglass to protect it.
Now, those long-shot hopes have all but been erased.
“We’re still supposed to be talking about the return of the Columbus statue to Grant Park,” Onesti said. “It’s a terrible thing. It’s another slap in the face to our community. It’s obvious that we’re still sensitive about this whole situation. Why wouldn’t they just at least communicate what is happening? We’re citizens of Chicago. The leadership does not take that into consideration.”
Neither park district officials nor Ald. Brendan Reilly, whose 42nd Ward includes Grant Park, could be reached for comment. Johnson’s office referred questions to the Park District.
Onesti acknowledged that he had a stronger case to make for return of the Columbus statue in Arrigo Park.
“We had the contract in place. We still have a lawsuit. We did not have a contract in place of this one. But there was an understanding of… what that meant to us and the sensitivity of it all — and it was something for us to discuss,” he said.
“They refused to do it. The exact same way that they did it five years ago. No communication. No warning. Just do it. That’s completely disrespectful to us. They continue to act without sensitivity and selfishly when it comes to things that are important to us.”
The Arrigo Park settlement resolved a long-running lawsuit filed by the group after former Mayor Lori Lightfoot removed both Columbus statues from their pedestals after they became targets of vandalism during the unrest following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
Both Columbus statues have been in storage ever since in a park district warehouse on the South Side.
When the Arrigo Park deal was announced, Ramirez-Rosa said the Park District was looking forward to “convening the process to determine which Italian American will be honored in Arrigo Park and which artworks will replace the Grant Park plinth.”
On Thursday, Onesti said both Columbus statutes are of equal historic importance.
The one in Arrigo Park was a “relic from the 1893 World’s Fair.” The Grant Park statue is “the only remaining relic” from the 1933 Century of Progress World’s Fair. It stood in the Italian pavilion.
“It was clear that we were going to discuss” return of the Grant Park statue, Onesti said.
On Thursday morning, a crane loomed over the base of the former statue as crews hammered and drilled away at what remained.
Mike, who didn’t share his name for fear of retribution, stood taking pictures of the construction Thursday morning. He had been at the 2020 demonstration. Being indigenous himself, he said the statues were reminders of the suffering that had been inflicted on his predecessors.
“There are a lot of great Italians we can celebrate,” he said. “It’s not about erasing history, it’s acknowledging the harm these monuments represent. He took part in the birth of a genocide. … Looking at that face was hard. It’s a reminder.”
Before news broke of what the city would do with the space, he said he would like to see it turned into a communal green space featuring native plants and sculptures from local artists — even an Italian artist, perhaps.
“None of us want statues,” he said. “Let people enjoy the space collectively. … Let’s talk about everyone who contributed to this city.”