A new statue honoring Christopher Columbus will be unveiled in Brooklyn in October 2026, according to the New York Post. The monument will stand on the private grounds of the John Hughes Club in Dyker Heights, a neighborhood with deep Italian American roots.
The initiative is being led by the Preserving Italian Heritage Coalition, a newly formed nonprofit organization brought together by New York State Assemblyman Lester Chang. Born on Eldridge Street in Manhattan, Chang is Chinese American and represents communities including Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights. He said his commitment reflects the assistance that Italian Americans gave his family decades ago and his desire to preserve the history of the community he represents.
Organizers are seeking to raise $100,000 to finance the statue’s construction, installation, protection and future maintenance. Chang has also personally contributed to the project. Because the monument will be located on private property, the coalition can manage its preservation directly and create a permanent place where residents, families and visitors can celebrate Columbus and Italian American heritage.
The group is also considering protective design features that could allow the statue to be enclosed if necessary. In addition, the coalition hopes eventually to offer a home to other historic monuments removed from public spaces around the United States.
The Brooklyn project follows another major tribute unveiled in Washington, D.C., in March 2026. A 13-foot reconstructed Columbus statue was installed near the White House’s Eisenhower Executive Office Building. That monument recreated the statue originally unveiled in Baltimore in 1984 and later restored after its destruction in 2020.
The forthcoming Dyker Heights statue represents a positive community effort built around gratitude, cultural continuity and historical memory. Its October unveiling will give New York another enduring landmark dedicated to Columbus while recognizing the generations of Italian Americans who helped shape Brooklyn and the wider city.
