Statue of former Frederick mayor proposed for Carroll Creek park

Yahoo

24-04-2025

A group is proposing to erect a statue of former Frederick Mayor Ron Young in Carroll Creek Linear Park, a park he helped create.
The proposal is for a 7-foot bronze statue of the former mayor in the Carroll Creek Park amphitheater on top of a 1.5-foot pedestal.
The proposal has been approved by the city's Historic Preservation Commission, Public Art Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission. All it lacks is approval by the City Council.
Young was mayor from 1974 to 1990 and represented Maryland's 3rd District — made up mostly of the city of Frederick — in the Maryland state Senate from 2011 to 2023.
"Without the vision that Ron had for Carroll Creek, the city would be very different," said former Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner, a member of the 13-member Committee for the Ron Young Sculptural Tribute.
Ron Young Statue at Carroll Creek
An artist's rendition of the proposed statue of Ron Young at the Carroll Creek Linear Park
A 1976 flood damaged much of the downtown area during Young's first term as mayor, which prompted a flood mitigation project around Carroll Creek.
Young oversaw the construction of the flood mitigation project, but he also envisioned the current park, Gardner said.
Though the project to turn the area around the creek into a park was not done during Young's term as mayor, eventually, his efforts came to fruition, she said.
Gardner in 2024 contacted sculptor Antonio Tobias "Toby" Mendez to create the statue and the committee has since commissioned him for the project.
Mendez is known for sculpting statues of Baltimore Orioles legends Earl Weaver and Jim Palmer, the statue of John Hanson in front of the Frederick County Courthouse, a statue of Thurgood Marshall in front of the Maryland State House and many others.
Mendez said he got involved in creating the statue to help people learn about the history of Carroll Creek Park, for which Young helped provide the vision.
"So many people don't know how the Carroll Creek park started," he said. "They don't know how it basically went from being a disaster area to something that ended up being a great park."
Young was also an advocate for public arts and his efforts helped with the creation of both The Delaplaine Arts Center and the Weinberg Center for the Arts, Mendez said.
The project is not currently being funded by grants or other public money, Gardner said. Instead, it is being funded by private donations and sponsors like the Delaplaine Foundation, the Ausherman Family Foundation and more.
Asked on Wednesday about the tribute, Young said, "I guess I'm flattered." Though he is not involved in the project, he has heard of it, he said.
Ron Young Statue at Carroll Creek
A photo of Ron Young taken during the late 1980s or early 1990s at Carroll Creek as the flood mitigation project was being constructed. Artist Antonio Tobias 'Toby' Mendez was commissioned to create a statue of Young to go in Carroll Creek Linear Park based on the image. Committee for the Ron Young Sculptural Tribute member Jan Gardner said the photo might have been published in Frederick Magazine.
His idea for the creation of a park along Carroll Creek, along with other revitalization efforts across the city, was not just an effort on his part.
"There were a lot of people that played a part and a lot of good aldermen that supported me," Young said.
Young said his goal as mayor of Frederick was to see it prosper, as it had when he was growing up in the city.
With the advent of shopping centers and new developments, Frederick's downtown area suffered, he said.
"That's why I ran for mayor," Young said. "I loved Frederick and wanted to see it vibrant again."
The statue
The plan is for the statue to go up in October 2026 — 50 years after the historic 1976 flood.
Mendez's design for the statue is based on a photo of Young from the late 1980s or early 1990s in which Young has his hands in his pockets and is standing near the in-development Carroll Creek flood mitigation project. Gardner said the photo apparently ran in Frederick Magazine.
The image is very "humble," Mendez said.
"My hope is that [the statue] will just blend into the crowd," Mendez said.
The committee's website says the art will include "an interpretive wayside exhibit that will recount the Park's development, the downtown revitalization effort, and recognize the commitment of successive mayors who helped fulfill the vision."
City Council
The last step before the statue would be able to go up is approval from the City Council, Gardner said.
City Council President Katie Nash said she has not heard much about the project and was only informed about it recently.
She said she needs to know more about it before she can say if she would support it.
She also said she wanted to make absolutely sure the city is using public art to honor those who have "done great things in our community."
Council Members Kelly Russell, Donna Kuzemchak and Ben MacShane did not respond to requests for comment.
Council Member Derek Shackelford said he could not comment until next week.
Gardner said efforts to put up a statue of Young in the park have been in the works for years. One of the main proponents of the statue was Elizabeth "Bettie" Delaplaine, who died in 2014, Gardner said.
Young said he has heard from many people over the years who have proposed the idea.
"I'd just hope they do it while I am alive, so I could see it," said Young, 84.