The city’s Columbus statue is likely to still be in McCabe Park when Columbus Day arrives, but city leaders will soon be negotiating with a private Italian-American association to relocate it. New Britain’s statue is one of the last in Connecticut still on public land, and has become a focal point for debate about Columbus' legacy.
In the wake of protests over George Floyd’s death, the cities of New Haven, Hartford, Middletown and New London took down their statues over the summer. New Britain kept its metal statue in place this summer so the city plan commission could decide what to do with it. Commissioners recently recommended transferring it to the grounds of the Generale Ameglio Civic Association, about a quarter-mile away.
