The California-based artist behind Cermak Plaza’s iconic “Spindle” statue said he thinks the piece should stay up, and he’s willing to help make improvements to keep the car-kabob standing.

Dustin Shuler, who designed the eight cars impaled on a 40-foot-tall spike, said he supports the idea of the piece being relocated instead of being permanently removed, and that he would be there to help. The artist said he would also be open to renovating the art, which he admits has become a target for bird waste since its arrival to the shopping center in the late 1980s.

“If it’s moved, then I’ll want to come there and be a part of it,” Shuler said. “If we replace any cars, I would be there to pick them out and make sure it’s done right. I know it’s kind of an odd beauty, but it means a great deal to me.”

As first reported by Life newspapers July 4, officials from the shopping center’s management company, Concordia Realty Management, said the art will soon be taken down to make room for new construction, and that the plaza’s owners think relocating the piece may be too expensive.

The “Spindle” will be taken down by the end of the year to allow for the plaza’s Walgreens to move to a freestanding location along Cermak Road, officials said.

“It would be a shame if it wasn’t put back up, because the ‘Spindle’ is really known around the world,” Shuler said. “It is unique and I think it’s incredibly beautiful. I want it to remain that way.”

Many say the “Spindle” is significant to the city as well.

“The piece has become an icon of Berwyn, a part of our identity that we would be naked without,” said Jon Fey, chairman of the Berwyn Arts Council board. “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from people that we need to keep the ‘Spindle’ because it’s important to who we are. It’s an element of Berwyn that is extremely valuable as we move into the years ahead, and we’re very intent in making sure that it remains an asset for the community.”

The arts council, a subcommittee of the city-funded Berwyn Development Corp., plans to launch a campaign to save the piece.

Fey, a Berwyn business owner and former resident, said board members will meet this weekend to discuss a campaign to save the “Spindle” at Fey’s office, 7003 Ogden Ave., at 10:30 a.m. The arts council also distributed posters at a recent community festival, the North Berwyn Park District’s Summer Soiree last weekend, speaking to residents to gather grassroots support for maintaining the art.

Fey said the arts council is supportive of doing some maintenance on the ‘Spindle,’ but hopes it remains in Cermak Plaza.

“We’re very much in favor of improving the ‘Spindle’ if that’s part of the process we need to go through because of .... the deterioration of the vehicles as they’ve aged over the years,” Fey said. “We wouldn’t be against it being somewhere else, but I think the most practical location for it is in Cermak Plaza, due to the other art that is there.”

Berwyn Building Director Dan LeBeau said preliminary plans for the new Walgreens construction have been submitted to the city, but permits have not been issued because of complications with unrelated landscaping plans.

LeBeau confirmed that the new Walgreens is planned for construction on the area where the “Spindle” stands, but said he hasn’t been privy to discussions about the fate of the artwork.

Berwyn Mayor Michael O’Connor said the artwork’s  removal has created a stir in the community, and he’s already seen ‘Save the Spindle’ T-shirts being worn. He said he thinks the notoriety will draw strong support and funding for its preservation worldwide.

“I’ve never been a fan of the ‘Spindle,’ but I understand how it’s a draw to our community and certainly something of value to us,” O’Connor said. “It’s an icon for Berwyn and has played an important role in marketing the city, and I would sure hate to lose it.”