Location | Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States |
---|---|
Material | Steel |
Height | 62 feet (19 m) |
Weight | 19.5 short tons (17.7 t) |
Beginning date | 2019 |
The Fitzgerald chicken topiary is an under-construction topiary in Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States. Construction began in 2019 and as of 2021, the chicken-shaped skeletal frame is complete. Standing at approximately 62 feet (19 m) tall, it is the largest structure of a chicken in the world and, when complete, will be the world's tallest topiary.
Fitzgerald, Georgia is a small city in the southern part of the state with a population of about 9,000. [1] The town is noted for its population of wild Burmese chickens that live in and around the main part of the city. [2] [3] In 2019, city leaders announced the creation of a large topiary in the shape of a chicken as a way to attract tourism to the city. [1] The project was spearheaded by Mayor Jim Puckett, who said the roadside attraction could target drivers on the nearby Interstate, which is a 20-minute drive from the city. [2] The project was announced in 2019, [1] and while it was initially planned to be completed by later that year, [4] the project experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the designer of the topiary ( Tennessee-based topiary artist Topiary Joe) having to take time off to recover from surgery. [1] By May 2021, work was completed on the steel skeletal structure of the topiary, with a total of weight of about 19.5 short tons (17.7 t) [2] and a height of about 62 feet (19 m) tall. [note 1] [1] In addition, the bottom of the structure would contain a room that tourists could rent out as a honeymoon suite or a bed and breakfast. [1] [5] With the completion of the skeleton, local television station WMAZ-TV called it "the world's largest chicken", [6] while NPR stated that the finished project would be "the largest topiary in the world". [2]
Construction of the topiary was paid for by a special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST) that had been directed towards tourism. [6] While the initial cost for the project was expected to be $150,000, the cost eventually rose to over twice this amount. [6] While Mayor Puckett defended the spending as an investment in tourism that would deliver a strong return on investment (noting that the chicken project had been covered on the front page of The Wall Street Journal twice since it was announced), [6] [2] others in the city were opposed to the spending, and, according to NPR, the mayoral elections in November 2021 served as a "giant chicken referendum". [2] Puckett lost reelection, with about 91 percent of voters voting against him, [7] and following this, the city council put a freeze on new spending for the project until the newly elected mayor took office in January 2022. [6]
Location | Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States |
---|---|
Material | Steel |
Height | 62 feet (19 m) |
Weight | 19.5 short tons (17.7 t) |
Beginning date | 2019 |
The Fitzgerald chicken topiary is an under-construction topiary in Fitzgerald, Georgia, United States. Construction began in 2019 and as of 2021, the chicken-shaped skeletal frame is complete. Standing at approximately 62 feet (19 m) tall, it is the largest structure of a chicken in the world and, when complete, will be the world's tallest topiary.
Fitzgerald, Georgia is a small city in the southern part of the state with a population of about 9,000. [1] The town is noted for its population of wild Burmese chickens that live in and around the main part of the city. [2] [3] In 2019, city leaders announced the creation of a large topiary in the shape of a chicken as a way to attract tourism to the city. [1] The project was spearheaded by Mayor Jim Puckett, who said the roadside attraction could target drivers on the nearby Interstate, which is a 20-minute drive from the city. [2] The project was announced in 2019, [1] and while it was initially planned to be completed by later that year, [4] the project experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the designer of the topiary ( Tennessee-based topiary artist Topiary Joe) having to take time off to recover from surgery. [1] By May 2021, work was completed on the steel skeletal structure of the topiary, with a total of weight of about 19.5 short tons (17.7 t) [2] and a height of about 62 feet (19 m) tall. [note 1] [1] In addition, the bottom of the structure would contain a room that tourists could rent out as a honeymoon suite or a bed and breakfast. [1] [5] With the completion of the skeleton, local television station WMAZ-TV called it "the world's largest chicken", [6] while NPR stated that the finished project would be "the largest topiary in the world". [2]
Construction of the topiary was paid for by a special-purpose local-option sales tax (SPLOST) that had been directed towards tourism. [6] While the initial cost for the project was expected to be $150,000, the cost eventually rose to over twice this amount. [6] While Mayor Puckett defended the spending as an investment in tourism that would deliver a strong return on investment (noting that the chicken project had been covered on the front page of The Wall Street Journal twice since it was announced), [6] [2] others in the city were opposed to the spending, and, according to NPR, the mayoral elections in November 2021 served as a "giant chicken referendum". [2] Puckett lost reelection, with about 91 percent of voters voting against him, [7] and following this, the city council put a freeze on new spending for the project until the newly elected mayor took office in January 2022. [6]