Final plans for the Al Copeland memorial in Metairie's Lafreniere Park were presented Friday during a news conference. The public unveiling of the design capped three months of give and take between the late businessman's relatives and Jefferson Parish officials over how the size and appearance of the memorial they wanted and what else the family would contribute to the...
Final plans for the Al Copeland memorial in Metairie's Lafreniere Park were presented Friday during a news conference. The public unveiling of the design capped three months of give and take between the late businessman's relatives and Jefferson Parish officials over how the size and appearance of the memorial they wanted and what else the family would contribute to the public park. (See update.)
The upshot: Copeland's family is paying for a permanent stage for musical performances in what will be named the Al Copeland Concert Gardens and, in exchange, may install a "serenity garden" and statue of the Popeye's fried chicken founder.
The statue illustration shows what appears to be a life-sized, broad-shouldered Copeland holding a box of fried chicken. A powerboat, a nod to Copeland's fondness for racing, juts from the base.
The concert gardens area is being designed by Greg Cantrell Inc., but an artist for the statue itself has not been chosen, Al Copeland Jr. said. He said he's taking advice from Blaine Kern Jr. on the project. He estimated the total cost of the project at $400,000 to $500,000.
