Raleigh, N.C. — The bronze statue of Sir Walter Raleigh that used to stand on the Fayetteville Street Mall will return downtown Saturday night as part of the Raleigh Wide Open 2 celebration, Mayor Charles Meeker said Friday.

The 11-foot statue was removed from downtown in April 2005 as the pedestrian mall was removed so Fayetteville Street could be reopened to traffic. A Cincinnati company has cleaned and repaired it over the past 15 months, officials said.

The statue, sculpted in Italy and dedicated in 1976 as part of the national bicentennial celebration, will reside at the corner of South and Salisbury streets, outside the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

When the new downtown convention center opens next year, Sir Walter will move across Salisbury Street and take up a post outside the entrance to the convention center, officials said.