Parkland foundation seeking public input for memorial to those who were killed at Stoneman Douglas

The foundation dedicated to building a forever tribute to the students and staff murdered at Parkland’s school shooting six years ago is now asking the public to help decide which monument is the best choice.

The public can visit https://parkland17.org/finalists/ to view the final three designs, cast a ballot and provide input.

The Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation will decide the top pick and the memorial will go on the border of Parkland and Coral Springs at the former Heron Bay Golf Club. It will be erected within a serene 150-acre preserve.

The school shooting happened on Valentine’s Day 2018. The building had been preserved to serve as evidence at the shooter’s 2022 penalty trial and was finally demolished this summer. The shooter is serving a term of life without parole.

Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation spokesman Mike Moser said public voting is expected to last four to six weeks depending on the number of submissions, and a final decision is expected by the end of the year.

Then, the committee will discuss design and construction. “We plan on raising the money to build whichever memorial is selected,” Moser said, which will be at least $1 million for any of the three options, but then can vary based on fountains and stones and other details.

Tony Montalto, vice chair of the foundation, said now that the school’s building is gone, it’s more crucial than ever to get the memorial standing. His daughter, Gina, was 14 when she was killed at Stoneman Douglas.

With the building gone, “there’s nothing to remind us of the people who were taken,” he said.

It will be a place for the public to come to “reflect on those that were taken from us, hopefully share some smiles and some laughter and fond memories,” he said. Those students and staff were “part of not just our families but part of the community.”

The Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation narrowed the submitted designs down from six to three, following a nationwide design competition. The three finalists are:

— A central fountain with seating, surrounded by 17 limestone obelisks — a tribute to each victim. The poem “But for a Small Moment” is engraved into the surface of the plaza. To complete the circular theme, 17 royal palm trees and an outer seating wall form the border of the memorial.

— “17 Rays of Light” will have a reflection pool and 17 private gardens “infused with emotion and profound meaning of light honoring the essence of who they were.”

— Seventeen angular sculptures will rise 30 feet, “each extending outward to a sheer curtain of water flowing continuously into a reflection reservoir. Each sculpture represents an individual precious life lost.” A cast bronze plaque is embedded into each pillar as a tribute to each victim. There will be seating and a historical placard will be at the memorial entrance.

The murdered victims were Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel, Martin Duque Anguiano, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Chris Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup and Peter Wang.

An additional 17 people were wounded.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash