The granite pedestal where a statue of Christopher Columbus once stood in St. Louis’ Tower Grove Park has remained empty for nearly four months. A construction crew removed the bronze statue in June, at the behest of the park’s Board of Commissioners. Since then, community members have submitted ideas for future monuments honoring historically significant St. Louis residents, but officials say the park’s status as a National Historic Landmark complicates the process.

Petitioners and activists had called for the statue’s removal in 2018, citing the Italian explorer’s legacy of violence against Native Americans. After consulting with an advisory task force of residents and representatives from Native American tribes, park officials announced last September that they would install signs explaining the “historical context of Columbus.”