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Colorado Springs plans revamped Veterans Memorial

Gazette - 12/27/2022

Dec. 26—A call for maintenance of the soaring five-pillar monument to veterans in Memorial Park has turned into a broader vision to improve the plaza dedicated to reflection.

City designs for the area show a new paved area for seating along Union Boulevard, a low wall facing the boulevard and improved accessibility for those in wheelchairs, among other major changes.

The new plans for the area followed a call from veterans and elected city officials for general maintenance to address cracks in the base and structure of the main monument. The towering structure was built in 1968 is meant to represent service members at parade rest.

American Legion Post 5 member Keith LaMee Jr. has been among those asking for maintenance of the monument and larger "wheel" of smaller tributes, including for one of the area's three Medal of Honor recipients, one for war dogs and one to all those who have served in the U.S. Air Force. Some of the bases of the monuments have signs of cracking and heaving.

The site hosts large events on Memorial Day and Labor Day and smaller events throughout the year.

"This is a place for people to come and reflect," LaMee said. Post 5 members were heavily involved in the initial construction of the memorial and LeMee helped lead the charge for the tribute to the Medal of Honor recipients.

Following a call for investment in the site by Colorado Springs councilmembers, the Parks Department staff hired a consultant to help with the re-imagining of the site and a structural stability study of the main monument, said Jake Butterfield, construction project manager for the parks department.

A city contractor took samples of the monument's concrete and then submerged them in water to determine how the concrete has been reacting to the environment, he said. The study is meant to replicate how concrete may have reacted to the water and other natural aspects of the environment. The reactivity took off fast and then slowed way down, he said.

"The news is looking positive that the memorial is stable," Butterfield said.

The large memorial may need a coating, but it doesn't look as if the entire memorial will need to come down for maintenance, he said.

If the memorial is stable, that could leave more of the $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds set aside for the site to build other aspects of the new vision, such as the new wall. At this point, Butterfield said he believes the city has enough funding for the whole project.

So far, the plans for the site have been well received by veterans groups in town, Butterfield said.

"The promenade off of Union they loved, and the walls they loved," he said.

One of the major improvements would be changes in the grading from the parking lot to the memorial to allow easier access for those with disabilities to the plaza.

The city's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Advisory Board could review the plans and offer feedback in February, Butterfield said, and construction could tentatively happen in 2023.

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(c)2022 The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

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