22-07-2025
Help select 30th Street Station's newest monument
The new monument set for 30th Street Station is coming into focus.
Why it matters: The memorial for the station's namesake — deceased U.S. Rep. William H. Gray III — will likely become a landmark and meeting spot inside the busy transit hub.
Driving the news: The finalists presented their proposed designs Tuesday at the Cira Centre skyscraper near the station.
The memorial will stand just steps inside the station's grand 30th Street entrance, becoming among the first site people see when they enter the massive hall.
The public is invited to leave feedback on the designs on the foundation's website.
Context: Gray was a congressman between 1979 and 1991 for the 2nd District in Philly.
He became the first African American to lead the U.S. House's influential Budget Committee.
Gray also served as minister of Philly's Bright Hope Baptist Church for years.
The station was named after him in 2020.
The big picture: The station is in the midst of a yearslong major overhaul, which is expected to wrap up in 2027.
The William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation is leading the statue effort.
What's next: The foundation's advisory committee will survey the public feedback and other criteria to select a winning design, which is expected in the fall.
Installation could be finished as soon as summer 2026 in time for the city's celebrations and events tied to the nation's 250th birthday.
The design options
Nekisha Durrett's "Crystal Stair"
Nina Cooke John's "Justice Interlaced"
Paul Ramírez Jonas' "Our Ancestors Knew We Were Coming"
Karyn Olivier's "Platform"
Hank Willis Thomas' "Reverence"
