The state is designating the Columbus monument at Columbus Circle as a landmark — in case the city tries to move it in the future. The New York State Board of Historic Preservation voted unanimously on Sept. 20 to place the statue in the state and national registers for its historic and cultural significance. The action was not publicized.

Gov. Cuomo is expected to announce the designation at the Columbus Citizens Foundation dinner Saturday night and the news will be celebrated at the monument on Sunday — ahead of Monday’s Columbus Day Parade. The 76-foot beaux arts monument was designed by Italian sculptor Gaetano Russo and it’s his only sculptural art work in America. “The form and content of this work . . . embody a number of ideas about civic pride, patriotism, nationalism, and ethnic identity that informed American culture in the early 20th century,” said Jennifer Betsworth, a state historic preservation expert who presented the Columbus monument proposal to the state board.