Peoria Standard

The Peoria Park District Board recently voted 4-2 in favor of removing a statue of Christopher Columbus from Bradley Park and placing it in storage.

Board president Robert L. Johnson Sr. said he voted in favor of removing the statue primarily because the issue had begun to divide the community and he felt it was time for Peoria’s citizens to move on to concentrating on things that unite them, according to the Peoria Journal Star.

“It’s been a very controversial issue, and we were very transparent on it. We let the community come in and speak on the issue,” Johnson said. “But I just didn’t like the way the community was going with this. It was splitting our community up, and with the COVID and all the other issues — we have a lot going on right now — I didn’t think it was something to spend our time and resources on.”

Board member Joseph Cassidy, who voted against removing the statue, said the need to use limited resources for addressing more pressing issues is precisely what motivated his vote. The removal is projected to cost $18,000.

“We have a million-dollar deficit now. We have closed facilities, canceled programs, and I just don’t think this is the appropriate time to be spending money on a statue that most people don’t know about it,” Cassidy said. “I think the money could be put to better use.”

Park district executive director Emily Cahill said the plan is to remove the statue and its pedestal sometime this fall, then plant the areas with grass in the spring and leaving it as an open green space.