The recast statue, new pedestal and plaza, may be dedicated July Fourth, if all goes well with the design review through Seattle Parks and Recreation.

It has the funds. And then some: $191,250.

On Sunday morning, co-chairs Paul and Libby Carr met with the fiscal sponsor for the Seattle Statue of Liberty Plaza Project, and counted more than $16,000 that came in after the deadline with the city.

They meet this week with Lynn Sullivan, the project manager from the Parks Department. She will itemize city expenses -management, permits, inspections - and explain how the plaza will be built, first scheduling public meetings on the design.

"We'll begin the process to get a consensus from the community," said Dewey Potter, a communications manager with the Parks Department. "(The committee's) design has not been vetted by the community."

"That's malarky," said Paul Carr.

The current design - by Matt Hutchins of Cast Architecture and Chris Ezzell of eWorkshop - is a consolidation of preferred features from two designs presented by Northwest Program for the Arts in community meetings before 2007.

Meetings attended by Parks Department staff, said Carr.

At a public meeting at the Alki Bathhouse September 13 - scheduled by Seattle Parks and Recreation itself - 34 people voted, all supporting this design, including one cast via proxy by the mayor. Carr said the only vote against was verbal. The woman had "lost her red dot," not posting her vote.

The meeting was the first of three. The other two were canceled, Paul said, because Parks realized they weren't necessary.

Funds raised include $10,550 from the NPA after it had the statue recast. Mayor Greg Nickels pledged $50,000 from this year's city budget.

Paul and Libby set a goal of raising $157,000: construction costs for a new pedestal, a brick-paved plaza, benches and landscaping, plus fund-raising expenses. They wanted to beat that, adding a cushion to cover any cost overruns.

In mid-December, they were $64,000 short. With two weeks left, they needed $25,000. At one week, $15,000.

Donors bought the last of twelve benches offered, and all six landscape plaques. Just hours before deadline, Rich and Janet Gangnes, with Windermere Real Estate, handed Paul and Libby a check, getting their names added to the donor plaque on the pedestal.

On Jan. 15, Paul and Libby Carr counted $174,940 in donations, more than 11 percent over target.

That afternoon, they hand delivered a letter to the Mayor's office, which read: "Since the community could have 'as much of the project as they could afford in this year,' and we have raised more than sufficient funds to complete the entire project, we wish to begin final design approval and construction as soon as possible."

Checks continue to arrive, more donations from people clamoring for bricks, some who only recently heard about the project.

Libby and Paul Carr continue to offer promotions: Buy two bricks, get one free. Volunteer three hours of time, get a brick free.

With five thousand spaces on the plaza otherwise blank, Libby says she will continue to accept orders until the brick-engraving company must start their work. Kenadar, which made tiles for the Pike Place Market, needs two months to inscribe the bricks, which must be finished when the contractor starts paving the plaza.

Libby Carr told the Alki Community Council last Thursday she is aiming for a July Fourth dedication. The final date for accepting orders for bricks hasn't been set, but Libby said it will be in two to six weeks.

To order bricks, e-mail info@sealady.org, visit www.sealady.com, or call 938-8720 or 206-938-8721.

Matthew G. Miller may be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com