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Chicago mayor supports permanent removal of Columbus statues from city parks

By Nic Flosi
Published  May 6, 2025 3:34pm CDT
Chicago
FOX 32 Chicago
Johnson defends deal on removal of Columbus statues from public parks

Johnson defends deal on removal of Columbus statues from public parks

Mayor Brandon Johnson backs the plan to retire Columbus statues from Chicagos public parks. So where are they going now?

The Brief

    • Mayor Brandon Johnson supports a plan to permanently remove Columbus statues from two parks.
    • One statue will be relocated indoors to a planned Italian immigrant museum.
    • Grant Park’s statue base will be removed to make way for rotating public art.

CHICAGO - After years of debate, Chicago will not return its Christopher Columbus statues to public parks, with Mayor Brandon Johnson backing the decision to remove them permanently.

What we know:

The Chicago Park District confirmed last week it has reached a settlement with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA) regarding the Christopher Columbus statue removed from Arrigo Park in 2020. That statue, taken down during a wave of national protests, will now be loaned to the JCCIA and displayed inside a building it owns that will house an Italian immigrant museum.

Mayor Johnson said the move aligns with a broader effort to reflect truth and shared humanity in public art:

"Art and culture in particular is something that I don’t believe we should erase," Johnson said. "And we do have to make sure that our presentation is depicting not just truth, but the best part of our existence, which is our collective humanity."

The Christopher Columbus statue in Arrigo Park in the University Village neighborhood of Chicago in 2017. (Alyssa Pointer/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

At Grant Park, the statue’s base—also known as a plinth—will be removed, clearing the way for a redesigned public plaza that will feature rotating art installations.

The Park District says it will launch a community-driven process to commission a new statue for Arrigo Park that honors the contributions of Italian Americans to the city’s history. That effort will involve public input and a call for artists.

"The Chicago Park District is committed to diversifying our statuary to ensure we are honoring Chicago's rich history and diversity," said Park District General Superintendent and CEO Rosa Ramirez-Rosa.

What we don't know:

Officials haven’t said when the Columbus statue will be installed in the JCCIA’s planned museum space.

The Source: The information in this article was obtained from Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Park District, the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, and previous FOX 32 reporting.

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