VANDALIA — Developers have worked for years to build a monument in the Miami Valley that would bring more attention to the birthplace of aviation.
Wright Image Group planned to build the the Triumph of Flight monument at the intersection of I-70 and I-75, but like so many other fall outs of the pandemic, that has changed.
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“All those aviation companies which got hit so hard during those pandemic months kind of lost interest in investing in monuments,” said Curt Nelson, Board Executive Director, Wright Image Group.
The company undertook a re-evaluation of the project, including where it would be located.
Nelson told News Center 7 they originally chose the location in hopes it would be seen by millions of drivers passing by.
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“Our monument stands at 240 feet, if you put them side by side, Orville or Wilbur sitting in the pilot seat would be looking right in the eyes of lady liberty,” Nelson said. “We’re trying to preserve as much as that dramatic size as we can.”
While some of the plans for the monument may be changing, one thing for sure is staying the same.
“We put a facsimile of that very airplane, the 1905 Wright Flyer on top of our design pedestal for this monument and that’s what the world will see,” Nelson said.
The team told News Center 7 that right now they aren’t exactly sure where the monument will end up, or how big it will be, but they hope to finalize those details at the beginning of next year and complete the project within two years.