The fiberglass mermaid statue visible from afar had faded and taken a few arrows and bullets. By Jp Lawrence. Over at least five decades, the foot-tall statue has seen her paint fade in the sun and her fiberglass body crack in the freezing winters. Since his election in , Lindstrom has made it his personal quest to restore the Mounds View Mermaid, which the city designated as a historical artifact on Dec.
The mermaid is so widely recognized that when the Mermaid Entertainment and Event Center took her down in , citing safety concerns, thousands mourned in posts on Facebook and via petitions to bring her back. Koehler loaded up the mermaid and drove her with a police escort from Mounds View to New Ulm.
He said the sight of the foot-tall woman on the road made quite a splash with other drivers that day. He said he hopes to be finished within the next two months.
He hopes his company can find the exact shade of paint used when the mermaid was brand new. The makeover might include a little more than just a fresh coat of paint. This could mean more hair for the half-woman.
Mounds View City Administrator Nyle Zikmund said the city hopes to make an agreement that will ensure the mermaid stays in the city even if any current or future owners leave.
