By the time Russo's plan was decided upon in 1890, a commission of Italian businessmen from around the United States had contributed $12,000 of the $20,000 needed to build the statue (equivalent to $407,000 of the $678,000 in cost in current dollars).

[2] Russo created parts of the Columbus Column in his Rome studio and in other workshops in Italy;[4] the bronze elements were cast in the Nelli Foundry.

[11] During the construction of the New York City Subway's Eighth Avenue Line (A, ​B, ​C, and ​D trains) underneath the circle in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Columbus statue was shored up with temporary supports.

Featuring tables, chairs, couch, rug, and flat-screen television, the décor reflects the artist’s interpretation of contemporary New York style.

Allowing us to take a journey up six flights of stairs to a fictional living room, Tatzu Nishi invites us to discover for ourselves where the imagination may lead.

[19][20] After two instances of vandalism in September 2017, including one incident where the statue was defaced with red paint,[18] full-time security measures were implemented ahead of the Columbus Day parade.

[23] On September 19, 2023, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited the monument and, during a ceremony, laid a wreath in honor of Columbus.