A 15-foot-tall steel-paneled balloon will be the centerpiece of the emerging downtown Westminster, a feature picked by officials and residents because it recalls a beloved fixture of the old Westminster Mall.

City Councilors Monday night signed off on the $250,000 Hou De Sousa “Float Together” piece, selected from among 104 submissions from artists around the world, said Kate Cooke, the city’s Cultural Affairs Coordinator told the council.

“I’m stoked we came up with the balloon concept,” said Councilor David DeMott. “It’s a fundamental piece of the community.”

The design echoes a notable feature of the old Westminster Mall which included a group of mechanical hot air balloons located inside the central atrium area, a city staff report states. During hours of operation, these colorful h

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