Turlock Korean War cannon needs a new home

City leaders are asking for ideas on where to place a Korean War cannon that is no longer on display outside the War Memorial building.

The Canal Drive building is among the properties the city is selling to the Turlock Irrigation District, which has its offices next door.

The TID board voted 5-0 on Tuesday for the $2.61 million purchase, which includes the former police headquarters and the current skate park on the same block. The Turlock City Council approved the deal last week.

The public can suggest new homes for the cannon at a May 13 meeting of the Turlock Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission.

The cannon – a key piece of artillery when the war was fought from 1950 to 1953 – is being stored for now in Turlock’s corporation yard to protect it from vandalism or theft. It will take part in the city’s Fourth of July parade and eventually find a permanent home.

The War Memorial, an event venue with a capacity of 374 people, was erected in 1951. TID will lease it back to the city to fulfill rental agreements through February 2016, district spokesman Calvin Curtin said.

This and the other properties will allow TID to consolidate water operations scattered in multiple locations and to relocate some of its electricity functions, he said.

The city vacated the police headquarters after the 2013 completion of its Public Safety Center on Broadway. The Brandon Koch Memorial Skate Park, built in 2004, will be moved to Donnelly Park, about a half-mile to the northwest.

Turlock will not be lacking for event venues after the War Memorial closes, said Maryn Pitt, assistant to the city manager for economic development and housing. The city rents out its Senior Center and the Ruby Boesch Center. Other parties manage sites such as the Carnegie Arts Center, Larsa Hall, Assyrian-American Civic Club and Turlock Ballroom.

This story was originally published May 5, 2015 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Turlock Korean War cannon needs a new home."