The Dayton-based nonprofit organization has had a public campaign for eight years to build The Triumph of Flight monument, which would feature a stainless steel replica of the worldâs first practical airplane created by Dayton natives Orville and Wilbur Wright.
The group is contacting local jurisdictions, asking them to draft updated resolutions of support for the project. Dayton and Clayton have drafted new resolutions of support.
âWe have known about it for years, seeing it is to be situated on land in the township,â said Mike Lang, president of the Butler Township trustees. âWe certainly support the spirit of the project, but have no plans to spend public monies on it.â
âWe have not been approached about project,â said John Applegate, Union city manager. âMy opinion is they can build it as long as the project is paid for with private money.â
WIG needs at least $17.6 million for the monument, which would be 270 feet high, or 35 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty.
Ohlmann said WIG has collected more than a $1 million for the project.
Some money would be used for ice, snow and wind tunnel tests on the plane portion of the monument.
The Wright brothers piloted the airplane, known as the 1905 Wright Flyer III, in record-breaking flights at Huffman Prairie Flying Field just outside of Dayton.
The monument will be placed on land owned by Singer Properties.
âWe would donate the land for the project,â said Alex Kolodesh, co-owner of Singer Properties.
âPeople will be able to park, walk up to the reflecting pool and see the monument rising out of its middle,â said Curt Nelson, WIGâs vice president of Public Affairs. âThey will also be able to walk around the Evolution of Flight.â
Other highlights of the monument would include life-sized bronze statutes of the Wright Brothers, Neil Armstrong and John Glenn and a 10,000 square foot gathering plaza with an embedded map of the world and a quarter of a mile of gently curving retention walls displaying Ohioâs aviation and aerospace history.
Lt. Craig Cvetan, commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrolâs Public Affairs department, said the patrol has not seen the project proposal.
When asked about the size of the monument being a possible distraction to drivers, Cvetan said itâs up to the drivers to determine if they are going to allow themselves to be distracted.
âObviously, in the beginning, something large and new could be a distraction to people, but once people become accustomed to seeing it, which is probably the majority of traffic in that area comes through there, everyday, itâs just going to become another normal part of the scenery,â Cvetan said.
âWe are glad they are keeping us updated on the projectâs progress, but it is not in ODOTâs right of way, so we have limited involvement,â said Mandi Dillon, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Transportation. âOur involvement is to simply monitor progress and make sure the structure does not encroach on state right of way.â
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