City statement regarding confederate monument removal

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Communications, Outreach and Marketing Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2020

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City statement regarding Confederate monument removal

Dallas, Texas — Late Friday evening the City was notified that the Fifth Court of Appeals granted the City’s request to allow removal of the Confederate monument at Pioneer Cemetery. This work will be done in a manner consistent with care for works in our public art collection and the surrounding historic cemetery. 

Monday, June 15, 2020, the City issued a notice to proceed and is working with a vendor contracted to complete the removal to storage. The vendor will arrange the delivery of equipment, lifts and scaffolding in approximately 10 days. This is a large and heavy monument; the central obelisk is 60 feet tall; four Confederate figures are 19 feet tall with the pedestals; and sculptures are marble with granite bases. As such, removal requires pre-construction scanning, delivery and set up of equipment and scaffolding, disassembly to archival standards, crating and transport to storage locations and demobilization of the site. These steps are necessary for the safe archival removal of the monument.   

On February 13, 2019, City Council approved funding not to exceed $480,000 for the removal. The estimated cost is $396,000. Preliminary estimates are that this work will take approximately two months. 

Staff have installed barricades around the site and the monument remains covered from public view.  

If you have any questions, please contact ACM Joey Zapata or Jennifer Scripps, Director of the Office of Arts and Culture, at Jennifer.scripps@dallascityhall.com or 214-670-3687. 

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