Buffalo, NY (WBEN) After growing controversy surrounding the Columbus Day holiday and graffiti at a local symbol of Christopher Columbus, the Columbus statue at Columbus Park in Buffalo was removed in 2020.
The statue remains in storage while a replacement is in the works.
Pete Lojacano of the Federation of Italian-American Societies says the statue is in storage. "It will be coming out in a location to be announced in the future. It will be displayed in a museum-type setting indoors," says Lojacano.
Lojacano says the where and when are in the works, as no official decision on a location has been made yet.
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Lojacano says he's focusing now on a new statue to replace the Columbus statue at Columbus Park. "It's a statue dedicated to the Italian immigrant family, which is also representative of all immigrants. The West Side has been home to immigrants from all nations," says Lojacano. He says he's in the process of working with the sculptor and the fundraising, with a new statue to be in place in 12 to 18 months.
How have residents reacted? "We worked very hard with the residents of the community. We've met with the Columbus Park Neighborhood Association, and kept them abreast of everything that's been happening. There's been a lot of dialogue on both sides," says Lojacano.
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Lojacano says there's no timeframe on when the Columbus statue will return.
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