In the years ahead, our national economy will continue to fade — no longer can the U.S. spend its way out of recession; our means of consumer debt are overextended, tapped out. In the bleak economic landscape of the future, as housing-related protests grow increasingly bold over time, this outdoor public location off Huron holds much potential as a downtown venue for high-profile community actions.

The plaza to the left provides open space for demos, press events and picnics, where us locals might one day mingle with tent squatters resident in the garden area. The sculpture (with fountain?) offers a steady water source in addition to welcome relief on hot days. While rather pricey for what you get, it should do the trick. Long Live Sculpture City! Try to stay dry.

In regard to the sculpture’s financial controversy, I quite honestly don’t understand why the public relations geniuses sitting on our City Council didn’t simply reduce the paved plaza area by a respectable square footage, extend the garden section accordingly, and rechristen this entire front area along Huron St. as the official Larcom Downtown Full Greenway Extension. Granted, city hall is an uphill climb from the nearby Allen Creek hollow, but why not present this open space as a vision of our green urban future to come (eventually with homestead tents, to fully complete the picture).

If thus City Council had slyly brought the local greenway activists into their corner — those folks who can reliably be counted on to vociferously shout down any & all complainers among the voting public — Council would render as politically meaningless any public expense incurred via working with Dreiseitl. No more controversy! Of course, it always remains wise to hold off final purchase until after the holiday season, when the sculpture can be had for a discount.

UM’s cube is actually only one of at least four similar Rosenthal cubes in existence. One, nicknamed “Alamo,” is installed in Astor Place in the East Village (NYC). Another is in the Martin Z. Marguiles Sculpture Park in Southwest Miami. A third, smaller version is installed at Connecticut College in New London.

Tony Rosenthal passed away on July 28, 2009, at age 94. His website has photos of his numerous public art works.