Developers of the Robinson-Shuba Commemorative Statue in downtown Youngstown on Monday released an environmental rendering of the proposed larger-than-life sculpture.
Created by BSHM Architects, a Youngstown-based design firm, the rendering portrays the statue with seating areas, visitors and the city center in the background.
“The statue will be a very visible addition to downtown Youngstown and an excellent place for scheduled events and informal reflection,” said Katie Spires, an architect with BSHM and member of the committee developing the memorial.
“The rows of seating east of the statue can support scheduled programming, and the smaller seating areas on the other side will enable visitors to linger and reflect,” she said.
BSHM is donating its services for the project on a pro bono basis. In addition to the rendering, the firm has designed the statue environment and is working on securing building contractors for the site.
Established in Youngstown in 1962, BSHM is known for designing dozens of prominent Ohio buildings. Some include the Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion/Ford Family Recital Hall, Taft Technology Center, and Mahoning Valley History Center in downtown Youngstown and the Beecher Center for Technology, McDonough Museum of Art, and Maag Library on the Youngstown State University campus.
The firm maintains offices in Youngstown and Columbus. The Youngstown office is located at 15 Central Square, Suite 300.
“We’re very pleased to support the Robinson-Shuba statue and the very important message it will send about racial equality,” said Byron Manchester, president and chief executive officer at BSHM.
The statue will mark the 1946 handshake of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player in Major League Baseball, and George Shuba, his white teammate from Youngstown.
The larger-than-life memorial is scheduled for dedication on April 18, 2021, the 75th anniversary of the historic handshake.
The initial rendering of the statue is part of the package that will soon be submitted to the City of Youngstown’s Design Review Committee for review and approval. Discussions recently began with labor unions and contractors interested in being part of the project.
More information about the statue project is available here.
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