The statue only had a permit to stay through Nov. 29 of this year, but luckily the Landmark Preservation Commission voted to keep her in her spot during their most recent meeting on Dec. 14.
The owners of the statue, State Street Global Advisors, have actually submitted a proposal for the statue to stay for 10 years, but that will be voted on by a separate committee dealing with public art — the Public Design Commission. The Landmark Preservation Commission was voting due to its historic location on Broad Street, directly across from the New York Stock Exchange. The streets are “the only remaining above-ground physical evidence of the Dutch Colonial presence in Manhattan.”
Here are the rules it must follow, as per the meeting approval notes:
- that the statue will be installed for a period of three (3) years;
- that the work will not eliminate any portion of, or otherwise permanently affect, the curbline or roadbed, which is a significant feature of this individual landmark;
- that the presence of the statue, set forward 3′ from the curb, will not disrupt the relationship between the roadbed and the curb and sidewalk, nor diminish the legibility of the irregular street pattern, which makes the plan of the streets so evocative of its early origins;
- that the statue was installed through mortar joints in the roadbed, therefore the statue could be removed and the street exposed and restored with minimal effort in the future;
- and that because this part of the Street Plan has been pedestrianized, having a sculpture in the roadbed will not be incongruous with or distract from the Street Plan.
The statue first appeared on International Women’s Day in 2017, standing up against Wall Street’s “Charging Bull” in Bowling Green. What started as a temporary PR stunt turned into a beloved feature downtown, serving as reminder of the importance of women in leadership positions, and inspiring young girls to stand strong. Previously it had requested a one-year permit, which have already been renewed by the Commission twice. Now, at least, it has a few more years under its belt.
After being met with different controversies, the statue was moved to her current location in December of 2018. The Public Design Commission will vote on her future in NYC at their January or February meeting.