By Tate Papworth
If you’ve been to the Sunshine Marketplace recently, you may have noticed something different about the giant guardian of its carpark.
The Millenium Man statue has been fenced off and the globe he has proudly held above his head for more than a decade is gone.
A spokeswoman for Vicinity Centres, the company which operates the Marketplace, told Star Weekly the giant statue had been fenced off while its original builders assess its state.
However the company would not reveal what the future holds for the iconic statue.
In November, Vicinity announced plans for a redevelopment of the centre, which included restoration works on the Millenium Man, which has continued to deteriorate over the years.
When asked last week if restoration would depend on the results of current assessment works, Vicinity remained tight-lipped, saying more would be revealed after the works were complete.
Village Cinemas commissioned the colossal ironman in 1997 and three years ago said it would work with Vicinity Centres to restore him.
In a statement at the time Village Cinemas said: “We proudly commissioned the Millennium Man statue 20 years ago and are now working collaboratively with Vicinity on the restoration and ultimate fate of the statue.”
Works never eventuated.
