Mary Tyler Moore statue taking a station break from Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis

Tourists expecting to see Mary Tyler Moore's hat-tossing likeness on Nicollet Mall may have to wait another two years to pose with the bronzed female comic.

Plans to temporarily move the statue inside the IDS Center's Crystal Court, a familiar scene to fans of the 1970s sitcom, were quashed when building officials failed to reach an agreement with TV Land. The sculpture was removed with other public art along the mall this summer during the street's $50 million renovation.

Moore's statue, which TV Land gave to the city in 2001, is now sitting in Minneapolis' Thomas Barry Fine Arts storage facility.

Jennifer Zaldivar-Clark, TV Land's vice president of corporate communications, said Saturday that she expects the figure to be returned to its rightful home on Nicollet Mall once the project is completed in the summer of 2017. However, she said the Viacom Inc. cable network is open to discussions about alternative locations if someone should suggest one.

The "Mary Tyler Moore Show" ran for seven seasons and was set in Minneapolis, where Moore played a local TV news producer.

Steve Cramer, president of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, said residents notice — and miss the statue when it's not in its rightful spot on Nicollet Mall.

"It's not a unilateral decision that can be made here," he said of the TV Land-owned statue. "We love it, the city loves it. It's a popular destination, so we want it back."