The giant macrame sculpture that hangs from ceiling to floor in the Embarcadero BART Station has been ignored by cleaners, attacked by BART directors, and overlooked or eyed curiously by commuters.

Now, it may be ready to join the proverbial dust heap. Decommissioning of the artwork, created in 1976 as part of station construction, is proposed in a draft of BART's budget for the 2014 fiscal year, at a cost of up to $300,000.

"Embarcadero Station has never been a good environment for a sculpture made of that type of material," said Luna Salaver, a BART spokeswoman. "It does get a lot of soot and dirt."

The textile sculpture, created by artist Barbara Shawcroft, a professor emeritus of UC Davis' School of Design, is 50 feet tall, weighs 7,000 pounds and hangs through all three levels at the eastern end of the station. It was designed to shimmy and shake in the winds created by trains rushing in and out of the station.

When installed, the sculpture was a vibrant burnt orange - one of the official colors of the '70s. But the big ropes, made of the fireproof material Nomex, soon began gathering grime, mostly dust from train brakes, and the warm hues of the fabric turned black. Various attempts were made to clean the sculpture, which is titled "Legs," but they were difficult and costly, and took place infrequently.

That prompted BART directors, as early as 1987, to talk about removing the sculpture, which then-Director John Glenn called "a hanging dish towel." Shawcroft, who had been paid $50,000 to create the artwork, was appalled, and fought to keep it in place - and to get it cleaned. At a 1987 BART board meeting that turned into a shouting match, she said the removal plan "is not only illegal, it is immoral." Directors tried to stop Shawcroft from reading a statement, but she persisted: "I am charging you with gross negligence, mutilation and degradation of art."

Has gone nowhere

As it turns out, "Legs" has had legs. For decades, Shawcroft's opposition and BART's concerns about the legality of removing the artwork joined with inertia and budget woes to keep the sculpture in place. The transit district has received occasional complaints that "Legs" needed washing. The last two cleaning efforts took place in 1993 - cost: $15,000 - and in 2000, at a cost of about $60,000. The sculpture was coated in grime within six months.

The 2000 cleaning, by a professional art restorer, was accompanied by a report from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco's de Young textile laboratory, according to BART officials. It recommended that "the sculpture be taken off exhibition and removed from this wholly unsuitable location. The level of airborne soiling, the draft and the lack of protective barrier make this one of the worst locations imaginable for a work of art made from textile fibers."

A 2008 report from BART attorneys found that the district can remove the sculpture if certain steps are taken. If the decommissioning is adopted as part of the budget, BART will research options with art conservation, engineering and legal experts, Salaver said. The cost of up to $300,000 includes the consultations as well as construction expenses for the removal.

Shawcroft could not be reached for comment. Salaver said she hasn't been contacted by BART officials about the pending proposal, but will be if the board decides to get rid of the artwork. The board is scheduled to adopt its budget on June 13 but will discuss it at a May 9 meeting, with a public hearing on May 23.

On-site opinions

At Embarcadero Station on Monday afternoon, the sculpture was drawing little attention, its sooty surface seemingly blending into the station's gray walls. Many BART riders said they were unfamiliar with its history, didn't notice its existence or assumed it was part of the station's underpinnings.

"I've never noticed it," said Erin Proudfoot, 39, of Oakland, who works for the Cal Alumni Association. "It would be fine with me if they took it down. It's kind of old and grimy, not beautiful or San Francisco-inspiring."

But one commuter offered a little love for "Legs," even though he hadn't really noticed it before.

"I would rather have art up than not," said Adley Penner, 32, an Oakland musician. "Because I think art is part of a diverse society. Without art, everything is drab and generic. Even though it's discolored, it's worth keeping."

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan