CLEVELAND — Fans are one step closer to seeing the "Man of Steel" honored in the city where he was first brought to life.
Earlier this year, city and county planners approved the concept for a Superman statue and a tribute plaza honoring his Cleveland creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
But while Cleveland-born sculptor David Deming is working to finalize all of the elements, a big hurdle remains for the project -- money. Organizers are asking "ordinary citizens" to help save the day.
All of the work in this big undertaking does come at a cost as planners work to raise $2.5 million to cover labor and materials. Their fundraising efforts kicked off on Thursday at a press conference at the Cleveland History Center.
At the heart of the project is the nonprofit Siegel and Shuster Society. Over the last few years, the organization worked to get approval from city and county leaders as well as DC and Warner Bros. Discovery, who hold copyrights over Superman.
The Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster Tribute Plaza is set to be located in front of the expanded Huntington Convention Center in downtown Cleveland. Here's what you can expect:
Planners say the vision of the plaza will be "to tell a story" in three parts.
The Phone Booth
You'll see the clothing of "mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent" inside the locked, non-operational phone booth.
Siegel and Shuster Statue
To the left of the phone booth will be a bronze statue featuring Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster and Siegel's wife, Joanne, who served as the model for Superman's love interest, Lois Lane. They are seen pointing and looking up at Superman.
Superman Statue
The highlight of the plaza will be an 18-foot tall stainless steel statue of Superman.
When you put it all together in a park-like setting with grass, trees, pavers and benches, here's how the Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster Tribute Plaza will look.
“Superman was the very first comic book superhero. All the rest came later – Batman, Captain America, but it all started in Cleveland, Ohio," said Gary Kaplan, president of the Siegel and Shuster Society.
Kaplan and society leaders are incredibly excited to watch the tribute plaza come to life. They believe it will positively impact city tourism and they're hoping for donations from anyone who loves Superman and believes in this vision.
The Siegel & Shuster Society says it is funding the cost for construction of the sculptures and the infrastructure in the plaza, while the Cuyahoga County Convention Facilities Development Corporation will handle the maintenance of the plaza.
The goal is for the plaza to open to the public in March 2025. Organizers say that's the plan regardless of whether they reach their fundraising goals by that time.
If you would like to donate to the Siegel & Shuster Tribute Plaza, click here.
The fundraising kickoff for the statue honoring the "Man of Steel" comes as Northeast Ohio plays host to a major motion picture currently in production -- which many believe is the new Superman film directed by James Gunn that’s set for release on July 11, 2025. Multiple sites in downtown Cleveland have been transformed into "Metropolis" with the Leader Building being tagged as "The Daily Planet."
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- Cleveland Planning Commission approves proposal for Superman statue, tribute plaza downtown