A new landmark coming to Town Madison will invite visitors to do more than take a picture. It will give them a chance to become part of Madison itself.

City and community leaders broke ground Tuesday on the “MADiSON Letters,” a large-scale public art installation commemorating America’s 250th birthday and designed to become a changing centerpiece for the growing city.

The 6.5-foot-tall fiberglass and steel letters will be installed near the intersection of Stadium Way and Trash Panda Way, across from J. Alexander’s. The lowercase “i” will be offset, leaving space for visitors to step between the letters and become the “i” in MADiSON.

The installation will debut with a patriotic design but can be repainted for holidays, special events and other themes.

Madison Visionary Partners, the Madison Chamber of Commerce and the city worked together to develop the design and select materials and a location. The project was funded entirely through donations and community partners, with no city funds used.

“We raised all the funds for this project,” MVP board member Marc Jacobson said. “I’m just excited about it now because you’re going to have an iconic landmark that serves also as an art piece.”

The letters will be overseen by the city and Madison Arts Alliance, allowing the installation to take on different looks over time.

State Rep. Phillip Rigsby said the significance of the project goes beyond the letters themselves.

“These letters, they’re just letters, but what they do is they create opportunities for stories, they create opportunities for memories, and they create opportunities for people to gather together in community,” Rigsby said. “That’s what makes us special. That’s what makes this event special, and that’s what will make these letters special.”

Rigsby said the changing artwork was one of the elements that drew him to the project.

“One of the things that I really liked is that the theme of these letters can change with different people or different organizations based off an art expression,” he said. “And I think that will be a great addition to our community.”

State Sen. Tom Butler, who is retiring from the Legislature after decades of public service in North Alabama, pointed to how much Madison has changed during his time representing the area.

“This is a great crowd for a great time in the city,” Butler said. “This is an iconic day when we recognize Madison for what Madison is, one of the fastest-growing communities in the state of Alabama and probably across the whole nation.”

“I’m glad to be here, glad to represent you and I’m ready to turn dirt.”

State Sen. Arthur Orr, who chairs Alabama’s 250th Commission, said he was pleased to see Madison put its own stamp on the statewide commemoration.

“This sign shows that Madison is really rising,” Orr said. “It is all about Madison.”

Orr also pointed to the turnout for the groundbreaking as a reflection of the community itself.

“What a great community, growing, prospering,” he said. “This crowd proves the excitement of Madison.”

State Rep. Parker Moore pointed to the partnerships behind the project and its location near Toyota Field, an increasingly visible gathering place for Madison and the surrounding region.

“It takes a partnership in order to achieve things for our community,” Moore said. “Here in our area, we have extremely great partners that work well together to create visionary and iconic symbols for our community.”

Madison, he said, is increasingly drawing attention well beyond North Alabama.

“We’re not just projecting ourselves for our area, we’re projecting ourselves for our country and the world because we are getting noticed,” Moore said.

John Michael Cortez, head of government and community affairs for GFiber, said the design gives residents and visitors a literal place in Madison’s story.

“These letters are so exciting because they’re very thoughtfully and intentionally designed, as you can see from the rendering, for people to literally put themselves in the middle of Madison’s story,” Cortez said.

He pointed to a city that has maintained its identity even as its population and development have surged.

“It is a community that, despite the intense pressure of relentless growth, has managed to preserve its charm, to protect and enhance its quality of life,” Cortez said.

GFiber is among the community partners supporting the project, along with Moore, Rigsby, Butler, Orr, Alabama State Tourism, Tennessee Valley Authority and Alabama’s Mountains, Rivers and Valleys tourism organization.

And Cortez suggested GFiber’s connection to Madison won’t end with the new landmark.

“We’re not only proud to be a part of this project which recognizes that story and gives people a chance to be a part of that story,” he said. “We’re very excited that very soon GFiber will be a part of Madison’s story.”

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