The long-running concept for a veterans tribute at Bayside Park on fort Myers Beach has attracted a heavy hitter. Sanibel artist Lucas Century, who helped devise the system for etching the names into the Vietnam War Memorial Wall, has been brought on to help Fort Myers Beach construct a veteran memorial.

Plans are still in the preliminary stages, Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt and Cultural and Environmental Learning Center Advisory Board Chair Barbara Hill said.

They recently met together with Century at Bayside Park, along with Fort Myers Beach Operations Director Frank Kropacek to discuss plans. Hill, who has a background in the arts as the former director of the Von Liebig Art Center and former consultant to the city of Fort Myers Public Arts Program, reached out to Century to get him involved.

“We felt he would be the perfect artist,” Hill said of Century. Hill said Century’s work at the Vietnam War Memorial Wall has been “revered for its power.”

Century has also worked on arts projects on Sanibel at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum and Florida Gulf Coast University.

Atterholt said the project is important to him.

“I really feel passionately,” Atterholt said. “I feel like council needs to keep that promise to the people.”

The concept had been discussed several times by the previous Town Council before Hurricane Ian.

Atterholt said the current plan is to place two quotes from former U.S. Presidents John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan at the four-feet high memorial. At the bottom, will be the message to veterans that ‘The Town of Fort Myers Beach thanks you,’ Hill said.

Plans are still being finalized.

“We want to keep it very simple,” Hill said. “We want it to be inclusive.”

The next steps are for Century to meet with a stone cutter, Atterholt said. Hill said that Century will be locating a source for Florida native coral stone that will be infused with granite to be placed at Bayside Park, off Old San Carlos Boulevard.

“There is a collective commitment to make it happen,” Hill said. “It’s very exciting.”