LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A memorial honoring the nation’s veterans is being relocated to a new home in southern Nevada, with construction about halfway complete.
The city of Las Vegas is raising $7.7 million for the project, which is expected to be finished by Veterans Day this fall, according to Ward 4 Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske.
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The funds will go toward extending the parking lot, adding lighting and lining the entire edge of the memorial with American flags. The biggest cost is a covered amphitheater designed to keep the space cool and shaded for elderly veterans.
“The covered amphitheater is an expensive proposition,” Allen-Palenske said. “It looks like a stealth bomber from the sky. So if you ever fly into Vegas and fly over, you’ll see everything has been done with so much forethought and care.”
Memorial moving from Grant Sawyer building
The memorial’s original home was at the Grant Sawyer State Building, which is now being redeveloped for market-rate workforce housing, according to Palenske.
“So people that maybe work in the downtown corridor underneath Fremont Street that want potentially first-time housing will be available for them,” Allen-Palenske said.
The statues did not have a permanent home for a time, but plans are now in place to bring them to the Thunderbird Family Sports Complex.
The 18 sculptures represent every war in the nation’s history, from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror.
New site offers 24/7 access, nighttime lighting
One major difference at the new site is that it will be accessible 24/7. For the first time, the statues will be lit at night.
“And the statues are going to be lit from the bottom with lighting,” Allen-Palenske said. “And the artist told us that’s actually the way he intended these statues to be viewed. So it’s going to be remarkable. For the first time, you’re going to be able to see him at night.”
The memorial will sit next to a playground and fields, connecting a new generation to that history.
“So secondarily, it’s very appropriate to be next to the play park because our veterans that gave their lives for our freedom are the reason why these children are here playing and enjoying and laughing,” Allen-Palenske said. “So it’s a very appropriate adjacency.”
Allen-Palenske said she is grateful veterans will have a new place to visit.
“But having this singular place to call home and have headquarters is so critically important,” she said. “So we are grateful to be their hosts and to be the shepherd of this new memorial.”
The councilwoman said the hope is to eventually add a Purple Heart memorial, a Gold Star Family memorial and perhaps a K-9 memorial for officers who served in past wars to the space.
The land is owned by the Bureau of Land Management and the federal government, so the city did not have to purchase the property. The city is actively asking for donations from anyone who wants to help fund the project. You can donate to the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE here.
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