DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – The Confederate monument in downtown Dallas has a new look as it awaits removal.
Months after the Dallas City Council voted to remove the monument from the city’s Pioneer Park, it remains standing but is covered in tarp and surrounded by a barricade.
“The City Manager decided to do that for security reasons,” said Councilman Philip Kingston. “There was some vandalism. But also, these monuments have become gathering places for violent white supremacists.”
The Dallas Landmark Commission voted to allow the statue to be removed following the City Council’s vote, but that decision is now being appealed. The estimated cost to take the statue down is just under $500,000.
“We had budgeted enough money to have it taken down by a conservator,” said Kingston. “We’ve since determined that is not necessary, so the City Manager has been authorized enough money to definitely be able to get it taken down.”
No exact time frame for the monument has been announced. The City of Dallas released the following statement on a timeline:
“At this time no date has been set for removal and the city is currently looking to identify a vendor for the process.”
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