Indianapolis, IN
New Indianapolis statue memorializes Richard Lugar. What it looks like and where it’s going
Animation: Richard Lugar Monument to be installed on Lugar Plaza
A monument to the late Sen. Richard Lugar from Indiana will be unveiled on Sept. 3. Here’s an animation of what it will look like.
Few Hoosier public servants are lauded more than the late Sen. Richard Lugar, who died in 2019. He lay in state at the Indiana Statehouse, has a downtown plaza named after him and, come Tuesday, he will be memorialized in the unveiling of a larger-than-life statue, christened in the company of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The Indianapolis-born Republican served two terms as mayor and 36 years as Indiana’s U.S. senator. On the national stage, he’s best known for his bipartisan work with Georgia Democrat Sam Nunn on the Nunn-Lugar Act, which launched a program to dismantle weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union ― present-day Ukraine ― after its collapse.
But perhaps more saliently today, say the civic leaders who pooled half a million dollars of private donations to make the monument possible, Lugar is a model for civility.
“He always listened. He always lifted people up. He never demeaned other people. He was always there with a keen intellect but an empathy that you had to you had to respect,” said Charles Richardson, a retired partner at Faegre Drinker law firm. “We don’t have to have a situation like we have now. We can look at the example of Dick Lugar and have a better way to think about public policy and the common good.”
The unveiling will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Bicentennial Unity Plaza outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Rice will give a keynote address. The monument will later be moved to a permanent spot on Lugar Plaza outside the City-County Building, along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
Op-ed: Richard Lugar is the single most important public servant in the history of Indiana
What is Lugar known for?
Lugar is often credited with transforming Indianapolis into a modern city and earning a national spotlight as mayor.
He was mayor during the adoption of UniGov in 1970; the ensuing economic growth propelled Lugar to the top spot on the National League of Cities in 1971.
While he’s best known for his work on nuclear disarmament during his Senate tenure, he also led efforts to override President Ronald Reagan’s veto of economic sanctions on apartheid South Africa, and he supported Democratic transitions in the Philippines and elsewhere.
After leaving the Senate, Lugar created a nonprofit, The Lugar Center, which conducts research on global issues Lugar often confronted during his time in office.
In 2013 ― the year Lugar left office ― President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Who organized the Lugar monument?
The late Jim Morris, the vice chair of Pacers Sports and Entertainment who died in July, got the ball rolling on this effort shortly after Lugar died in 2019.
He mobilized dozens of other civic leaders to raise money from private donors and asked Indianapolis architect Jonathan Hess to design a monument that would represent Lugar’s expansive career.
“When Jim would call, you always said yes,” Hess said.
What does the monument look like?
The entire monument spans 14 feet wide, including a sculpture of Lugar standing on a base, surrounded by five free-standing plaques that describe the breadth of his half-century career, from Rhodes Scholar to Navy man, from mayor to U.S. senator. Lugar himself stands 9-and-a-half-feet tall, including the base.
The figure of Lugar is leaning on a column cap that tops the base of a walnut tree. His posture is inspired by a picture of a relaxed, affable Lugar following his second Senate win, Hess said; the column is symbolic of his time in Congress; and the walnut tree represents Lugar’s favorite place in the world: the grove of walnut trees he planted on his family farm. The bronze contains some bark peeled off one of these trees.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.
INDIANAPOLIS — An investigation is underway after a woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash in downtown Indianapolis Saturday morning.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, at around 3:15 a.m., officers responded to the intersection of East Maryland and South Pennsylvania Streets after hearing a loud crash in the area.
When officers arrived on scene, they were flagged down by several people stating a pedestrian had been struck. Officers located an adult female who had been on a scooter in the crosswalk of the intersection.
She was transported to an area hospital in critical condition but later died from her injuries, IMPD said.
Investigators said the striking motorist did not stay on scene.
Police are encouraging those with information on the crash to contact Detective Adam Jones at (317) 327-3475 or call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives on Friday afternoon asked for help in locating 14-year-old Kathya Rodriguez, last seen on Monday afternoon.
On Friday night, an Indiana Silver Alert was issued for the girl.
Described as 4 feet, 9 inches, and 99 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes, Kathya was last seen on Monday in the area of 2100 Waterford Place. That’s at The Meridian apartments off Westlane Road/West 71st Street on the city’s northwest side.
She was last seen about 12:45 p.m. Monday. She was wearing a gray hoodie with white writing, blue jeans, and sandals with socks.
In a statement Friday, IMPD said early in the investigation, detectives had no information indicating she was in danger, but as the investigation continued, detectives found details that led them to believe Kathya might be at risk.
Detectives believe she may be with Victor Martinez, 15. IMPD described him as 5 feet, 5 inches, and 165 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen Monday near 7200 Knobwood Drive. That’s also at The Meridian apartments.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts was asked to call 911, contact the IMPD missing persons unit at 317-327-6160, or call Crimestoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
This story was updated from its initial post after IMPD corrected the last name of Kathya.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Indianapolis City-County Council President plans to propose a data center moratorium on Monday.
President Maggie Lewis, a Democrat, said she plans to introduce an amendment to proposed data center zoning regulations during the Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee meeting on July 13, enacting a moratorium.
“This pause will provide the City-County Council, the administration, industry experts, and community stakeholders the opportunity to fully evaluate the long-term impacts of these developments, including infrastructure demands, utility capacity, environmental considerations, economic outcomes, and neighborhood quality of life,” Lewis said in a statement. “This is not about slowing progress. It is about exercising responsible leadership and ensuring that decisions of this magnitude are made through a thoughtful, transparent, and data-driven process.”
Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) President John Dillon dismissed the idea of a moratorium when the MDC advanced the data center zoning ordinance, even in the face of dozens of protesters.
The zoning regulations, if approved, would set minimum standards for data center developments in Indianapolis. Critics have said the regulations, as written, are too broad and will only streamline development.
Groups like Citizens Action Coalition have called for a moratorium to allow time to draft more robust restrictions. Lewis echoed similar motivations when announcing her intent to propose the pause on developments.
“Our responsibility is to make informed decisions that serve the best interests of Indianapolis residents,” Lewis said. “Given the significant questions that remain, a deliberate review is both prudent and necessary before moving forward.”
The City-County Council unanimously approved a special resolution on May 4, requesting the MDC temporarily stop approving new data centers. But the resolution isn’t enforceable. Councilman Michael-Paul Hart, a Republican, previously told News 8 the vote was more symbolic to him rather than a real measure to slow development.
A public hearing on the data center zoning regulations is planned at 5:30pm on Monday, July 13, inside the City-County Building at 200 E Washington St in Indianapolis.
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