To the relief of Robertsdale residents, Lady Liberty will not be calling Wolf Lake her home; weather conditions make the site unsuitable for the foam statue.
Don Corson of Indianapolis-based American Structurepoint, Inc. told the Redevelopment Commission last week the biggest factor was the wind followed by year-round exposure of ultraviolet light.
"The statue is truly a remarkable work of art," Corson said, "But it is just that - a work of art."
Corson said the high-tech coating is unsuitable for outdoor exposure. Also, the steel bars holding the 377 foam pieces together were not designed for engineering and would all need to be replaced.
"There are alot of technical challenges for outdoor display," Corson said. "To convert it into a permanent attraction would require a significant investment of resources." Or in other words, lots of moolah!
Marty Wielgos, Mayor McDermott's Chief of Staff, says the issue of putting the statue outside is not dead just on hold for the time being.
So for now, Lady Liberty waits in a city warehouse. The top 97 feet of her could go on display at the Indiana Welcome Center. There are also ideas for the statue to be displayed during the month of July and used in various summer parades. Or the statue can always be returned to the owner and creator, Frank Brummett of the Beryl Martin Co. if Brummett is not satisfied with the plans the City of Hammond has for the statue.
The bottom line is: the city wasted $30,000 of TIF money that could have been more wisely spent. Rather than spending $30,000 to have an engineering firm tell them it's not a good idea, the city could have asked Robertsdale residents or Wolf Lake windsurfers for their input. And it wouldn't have cost the city a dime!