Mary Tyler Moore statue is back on Nicollet Mall

She's back.

The beloved bronze statue of Mary Tyler Moore exuberantly tossing her hat into the air is back at its original home at Nicollet Mall and 7th Street in Minneapolis. On Saturday morning, she smiled and tossed it under a dusting of snow.

The statue's return will be celebrated at noon Thursday as part of the reopening of the revamped Nicollet Mall. The event will include remarks from Mayor Betsy Hodges and Steve Cramer, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, among others.

Nicollet Mall has been closed to vehicles since July 2015. The construction and closure has been a source of frustration for pedestrians and business owners, in part because much of the early work happened underground and wasn't visible.

But city officials have noted repeatedly that the project will be completed on time and on budget. The $50 million overhaul includes nearly 250 new trees, new LED lighting and the city's largest public art display.

The statue portraying Moore's signature show-opening hat-tossing gesture was removed from the mall, along with other public art, to make way for construction.

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