11-foot statue, street honoring 25 years of mayors Carolyn and Oscar Goodman

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The legacies of Carolyn and Oscar Goodman, who have served a combined 25 years as mayor of Las Vegas, are now physically represented by 11-foot tall statues.

The two also have a street named after them.

A block of Clark Avenue in front of City Hall is now named Goodman Way. A foot away from the street is the bronze statue.

It was unveiled as a surprise to the couple.

“I had no idea about today,” Carolyn told FOX5 shortly after seeing the statue. “What a surprise. So many people kept this secret... Oscar and I are so grateful.”

Oscar, like the others in attendance Tuesday morning, is looking ahead to the next chapter for Las Vegas.

“I hope that the city builds on what [Carolyn has] been able to accomplish,” he said.

That next chapter will be led by Mayor-Elect Shelley Berkley.

“I think we’re going to be retiring the showgirls and of course the martini glass, but we’ll bring in new traditions,” Berkley said, nodding to the iconic Las Vegas symbols surrounding most of Oscar and Carolyn’s public appearances. “Every mayor wants to put their own stamp on the city, and I’m sure I’ll be doing the same.”

Berkley also stressed the importance of remembering the Goodman legacy. The new statue that represents this legacy depicts the two of them holding hands - a pose that sculptor Brian Hanlon said was important to get right.

“We wanted to create a composition that showed that togetherness and that intimacy, hence that pose of them holding hands,” Hanlon explained. “Walking as civil servants, holding hands.”

The statue was an 18-month job that Hanlon completed in just six months. For him, seeing the Goodmans' emotional reaction was well worth the long hours.

“Seeing someone so dynamic – humbled – is a powerful moment," Hanlon said of Carolyn’s response to the unveiling. “Seeing Oscar speechless – doubly powerful, because he’s a good speaker.”

The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas Life was endowed with about $400,000 for this project.

“We had to honor them,” Sallie Doebler, the CEO of the fund, told FOX5. “The city is changed forever because of their efforts.”

The couple now gets ready to say goodbye, with Carolyn’s last day in office coming up next week, as they transition to being spectators of Las Vegas' continued growth.

“25 years from now, there’s another party down here celebrating the next phase as to where the city can go,” Oscar predicted.

In addition to the street name and the statue, the area in front of City Hall has been renamed the Carolyn G. Goodman Plaza.

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