Vera Mukhina, THE sculptor behind the worker and kolkhoz woman sculpture, would’ve probably convinced people to keep it purely for artistic value. She allegedly did it with the “Freedom monument” in Latvia, but the Latvian “Freedom” statue is so ugly I wouldn’t have listened.
The solution is simple, you do a public consultation, with particular focus on the people of NYC, with debate and propositions, and what the people feel it’s best is to be done, quite simple in my oppinion. Since to my eyes it’s not an inherently reactionary symbol, so I’d say the people should decide on a post revolutionary NYC