Is Marilyn statue coming back to PS?

Looking up where there “Forever Marilyn” statue once stood off Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, all you see is a giant construction crane.

Locals and visitors alike are feeling the loss more than a year after she shipped off for Hamilton, New Jersey. She’s currently the centerpiece for an exhibit dedicated to the artist who created her, Seward Johnson.

“It feels like when it was here, it just belonged here,” said Dionysus, visiting from Los Angeles.

“I thought it was a really big attraction for Palm Springs and her leaving was a bummer,” said Dennis Young of Yucca Valley.

“I was hoping I would see it here and it sucks that it’s not here,” said Nathalie Kouch, who didn’t know the Marilyn statue left.

Recently-released renderings of the downtown revitalization plan sparked renewed conversations about the 26-foot statue, which appears in the images (see video) as the cornerstone for the future 50,000 square foot public park.

“The designer put Marilyn in a location as a placeholder in case she comes back,” said City Manager David Ready. “They wanted to demonstrate how she might fit and how she might look.”

Those renderings of the “event center” will now go before city council for input. City officials estimate the total cost for the finished park to be between $4 and $6 million – and that doesn’t include the cost of getting Marilyn back.

“In essence it will be our little central park. It will be an event space and gathering spot. Marilyn was such a phenomen for downtown Palm Springs and we’re trying to recreate that,” Ready said.

P.S. Resorts is the group that originally brought Forever Marilyn to Palm Springs, and it’s currently in negotiations with the Sculpture Foundation to make her a permanent fixture.

The group is trying to raise private funds to cover what will likely be a more that $1 million dollar price tag on the statue.

“Our goal is to do fundraising and get some support from the city of Palm Springs, and hopefully bring her back where she belongs,” said Aftab Dada, chairman of P.S. Resorts.

P.S. resorts hasn’t officially asked the city for any assistance, but said it’s possible it will ask for matching funds when the final price for Marilyn is negotiated.

The downtown park is scheduled to open in Fall 2017.