Veterans Memorial Design 'Respectful and Dignified'

A group of Edina veterans are continuing their at , a project that has been in the works since last year.

While funding is still in question—Veterans Memorial Committee members say they're waiting to begin that process—the design of the memorial has finally been unveiled. The proposed memorial would be built in the northeast part of Utley Park, near the intersection of West 50th Street and Wooddale Avenue. 

The proposed design is that of a large letter V—for victory—with three concentric stars inside of it. At the head of the site, the committee is suggesting a black granite memorial topped with a bronze statue of an eagle holding a wreath.

The memorial will be etched with the names of 32 Edina veterans killed in action since 1888, when the city was founded. As for the sculpture, that will be handled by New York-based sculptor Robert Eccleston.

Bob Kost, an architect with Short Elliott Hendrickson, said the concept behind the design was "respectfully honoring the veterans of Edina with subtle elegance."

"We used the as an example," he said. "A beautiful building, great materials and an elegant design but, at the same time, not all flashy and in-your-face."

Committee Chair Mike Goergen describes it as "respectful and dignified."

"It's appropriate to what we feel the citizens of Edina would like to see," Goergen said.

A concept design plan for the memorial received approval from the Edina Park Board earlier this week, and will now go before City Council for action at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15. The council previously gave a handful of approvals to the project, including $30,000 in seed money.

John Lonsbury, who sits on the committee, said he was shocked when he first learned there wasn't already some sort of veterans memorial in Edina.

"I grew up here and it was very much a surprise to me when people started saying there isn't one," Lonsbury said.

The memorial surface is large enough to accommodate events that require up to 150 folding chairs. At the same time, the memorial will be modest enough for families and intimate groups to remember loved ones lost.

Goergen said fund-raising is definitely the group's next stepping stone, provided the council approves the design concept. Estimates place the cost of building the memorial at approximately $400,000.

"That's still in the planning stages," he said. "We're making sure we're ready to roll as soon as the City Council says we're good to go."

Kost said building the memorial shouldn't prove particularly challenging, estimating it will only take about four months to complete once work begins.

"In essence, we're building a really big patio or public plaza," Kost said. "This is going to be built to be there for the next 60 to 70 years, with really durable, high-quality materials."