Last year, Mayor Ben Walsh announced changes were coming to Columbus Circle with some criticism and some support. On Wednesday, Walsh talked about the future of the statue and the circle, saying the Heritage Park project is still in the works, and they're still collecting community input for what should go in the park. That will continue until the end of the year. Walsh says the park would go across the street from Columbus Circle.

He also says that while they are removing the statue of Christopher Columbus, the monument it's on will stay. "The expected outcome is to have a safe and welcoming space for everyone in this community. And for those Italian-Americans that were concerned about their history, I want to reassure them that the focus of that monument will always be on honoring Italian-American history, specifically our local history," said Walsh.