According to a self-published work by the Massachusetts State Council of the Knights of Columbus, in 1967, their organization voted to establish a non-profit corporation to construct affordable housing.

[1] The Boston Redevelopment Authority selected them to develop a parcel, but the Supreme Council of the Order did not like the idea.

In 1999, the director of the Massachusetts Historical Society denounced the park as a poor use of city resources with inappropriate symbolism, observing that Boston has no connection to Christopher Columbus.

[6] Most recently, in the early morning hours of June 9, 2020, the head portion of the statue of Columbus was removed and stolen.

Mayor Marty Walsh said the remaining portion of the stature would be removed and placed into storage and the city would be reviewing if the Italian marble statue would ever be placed in a high visibility location in the future.