A resolution for what to do with an area of the Santa Fe Plaza that has become an eyesore to some was introduced during a meeting of the Santa Fe City Council.
The resolution is based on recommendations made by the community as part of the CHART program, which sought ideas for what to do with what’s left of the obelisk, which was torn down by protestors in 2020. The resolution, according to KRQE News, proposes to mend, redesign or reframe the structure. The designs would use original pieces of the obelisk.
“One of the recommendations is that we move forward with figuring out what to do with the obelisk, or the soldier’s monument in the plaza,” Santa Fe City Councilor Carol Romero-Wirth told KRQE. “It also recommends creating an office of equity and inclusion.”
The site would also include four plaques with new text explaining the area’s history. It would be up to the newly created Office of Equity and Inclusion to decide what the new plaques would say. The plaques that currently exist would be placed in a museum.
“I think it should come all the way down, so that when families come down to enjoy what’s going on in the bandstand that they would be able to see that," Santa Fe resident Bright Capella Daystar told KRQE News.
The resolution recommends adding an interactive portion through a QR code for visitors to get more information. It also recommends the installation of temporary lights to “shine into the sky, representing hope."
Some people want no remnants of the previous structure. Others say taking down the structure will remove history.
“I think the Native Americans have been trying to have it taken down or reworded for decades,” Santa Fe resident Virginia Nelson told KRQE News.
According to the resolution budget, the project could cost the city more than $1.6 million.