Mike Wolanin | The Republic Members of the Columbus Police Department, Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police and Columbus Fire Department gather on POW/MIA Plaza for the annual Law Enforcement Memorial Service to honor fallen law enforcement officers in Columbus, Ind., Friday, May 19, 2023.
As landscape architects are being sought to redesign two downtown memorial plazas, one group honored at the mini-parks northeast of the Robert N. Stewart Bridge is asking that their past input be considered in future planning.
“A great deal of time and effort went into our research,” POW-MIA event coordinator Bob Miller said. “We want to make sure our suggestions don’t get lost or overlooked as the design teams are being vetted and the project moves forward.”
City officials announced early this month they would be working with the Landmark Columbus Foundation to seek qualified landscape architects interested in redesigning the two plazas, and both Miller and POW/MIA Veterans Committee member Zack Ellison lauded the decision.
It’s also overdue. Ellison said the current landscaping was in place in the summer of 2000 when the POW/MIA and Public Safety Plaza was dedicated. New landscaping is now necessary because what was installed by renowned landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh is past its normal life expectancy.
Local officials have been in contact with the 71-year-old Van Valkenburgh with the hope that he may want to be involved with the redesign, city officials said.
The POW/MIA committee agrees with the commission that stakeholders ranging from former Indiana Senate President pro tem Robert Garton to law enforcement officials should be interviewed about what they would like to see at the two plazas. The Veterans Plaza was named in honor of Garton and his wife, Barbara.
But while new ideas and perspectives are being sought, it has been four years since the POW/MIA Veterans Committee came up with their improvement proposals, Miller said.
One of the committee’s major proposals is that all events involving public presentations and memorial services take place at what is now the Garton plaza southeast of Second Street, rather than the northwest plaza where law enforcement honor fallen comrades nationwide. From Ellison’s perspective, crossing heavy traffic on Second Street to gain access to the northwest plaza is like “taking your life into your own hands.”
The following are proposals drawn up by the committee that Miller said were eventually handed over to City Director of Administration and Community Development Mary Ferdon in 2021.
Corner markers: The organization proposed a marker be placed near the corner of Second and Brown streets, facing east. A second marker could be placed at the corner of Second and Jackson streets, facing west. It would replace the existing bench, which could be moved to the main plaza area. The committee proposes Barre Gray unpolished pedestal signs with 4-inch black lettering. The 2019 cost estimate for each marker is listed as $6,603.
Individual monuments: The committee is proposing four black granite monuments. Each would commemorate a different conflict: World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and War on Terror. Two would be placed on either side of the sidewalk leading to the plaza. Cost for four black granite monuments: $25,724.
Bronze statue: The life size statue would depict a soldier kneeling in prayer. It would be located between the flag poles and Brown Street on a circular brick base. The bricks could be inscribed with the names of the 55 POW-MIA soldiers from the area. A price for this item has not yet been determined.
Flat, inscribed monument: This would serve as an alternative to having individual bricks around the bronze statue. A black or Barre Gray granite monument would list all of the 55 POW-MIA soldiers.
Memorial wall: Instead of individual bricks around the bronze statue, the alternative could be creating a brick memorial wall with individual bricks that replicate the current bricks under the flags. It would be located at the end of the sidewalk that leads into the plaza.
Miller says his biggest fear is that if the public isn’t reminded of the sacrifices of POW-MIA military personnel, they will truly be forgotten.
But Ellison said he feels both Ferdon and Assistant Director of Community Development Robin Hilber should remain at the forefront of the project because they have the best access to public funds that can make a new design become reality.
The Columbus Redevelopment Commission could potentially use some of its Tax Increment Financing dollars to fund infrastructure improvements at the site, City Redevelopment Director Heather Pope said.
The two memorial plazas often go unnoticed by local motorists. As they come off the Stewart bridge, most drivers are focused simultaneously on jockeying for lane position, lowering speed and being on the lookout for sudden signal changes.
“As you drive into town, the Veterans Plaza is not visible and hardly anybody knows where it is,” Ellison said. “There is a lot of lane-changing going on, and unless they are stopped at the traffic signal, it’s tough to pay attention to the two plazas.”
