Marconi Plaza Christopher Columbus Statue To Be Placed In Storage Until Decision On Long Term Relocation Made
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The fate of the Christopher Columbus statue in South Philadelphia has been made. The Philadelphia Art Commission voted to place the statue in storage on Wednesday morning.
The commission voted 8 to 1 in favor of removing the statue from Marconi Plaza.
The Christopher Columbus statue will be placed in storage for six months until a decision is made on its long term relocation.
The art commission wants the city to make a proposal for what happens to the statue next, whether it returns to Marconi Plaza or gets relocated somewhere else in South Philadelphia.
The statue was a gift to Philadelphia so it will remain in the city.
Several other states have already removed Christopher Columbus statues in their cities.
Last month, the Philadelphia Historical Commission voted in favor of removing the Christopher Columbus Statue from Marconi Plaza.
Though the statue has sat in Marconi Plaza for more than a century, the controversy surrounding it reached a peak this year. The Philadelphia Historical Commission voted 10 to 2 to have the 144-year-old statue removed.
