The last of Christopher Columbus' ships (or a replica of it, at least) may not be disappearing anytime soon, but a statue of the man has done just that.

The Port of Corpus Christi has removed a statue of Christopher Columbus that was located just outside the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center. It was unclear when exactly the statue was removed, but on Monday, an empty concrete base stood with the figure no longer in place.

More:Residents want Columbus statue removed from Corpus Christi's port

Port officials have said the statue was going to be removed and put into storage because of ongoing construction of the new Harbor Bridge, as well as work starting on the port's new multi-million dollar headquarters.

Where the statue will be placed once those projects are complete has not been determined, though community activists have voiced their opinion that it should be permanently removed and kept down.

“The statue will be carefully stored until the new Port of Corpus Christi building is completed, at which time we will determine the best location to display this work of art,” said Port of Corpus Christi Chief Executive Officer Sean Strawbridge in a statement.

Tim Acosta covers the Port of Corpus Christi, county and city government stories for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Consider supporting local journalism with a digital subscription to the Caller-Times.