The City of Chicago, in a release distributed on February 17, 2021, launched the Chicago Monuments Project website at chicagomonuments.org kicking off the public engagement phase of the Chicago Monuments Project. The new website identifies monumental sculptures, artworks, and commemorative plaques on the public way and in Chicago parks selected by the Chicago Monuments Project Advisory Committee for further review.

Out of a collection of over 500 monumental sculptures and commemorative plaques on the public way and in Chicago parks, 41 have been deemed “controversial”. Of those, three are statues of Christopher Columbus, one is the Italo Balbo monument in Grant Park.