On July 6, 2016, the property owner of the building located at 1200 Lincoln Road obtained the Design Review Board's approval for a new citizenM hotel project, and since then, has demolished the building. The building featured four (4) murals, together entitled "The Glory of Old Glory" (the "Murals'), created in 1971 by Italian artist and sculptor Enzo Gallo, an immigrant who fled Italy for Cuba and subsequently emigrated to South Florida.

The Murals (also referred to as the "Enzo Gallo Murals") were commissioned by the building's former owner, Shepard Broad, developer of the Bay Harbor Islands, and were displayed on the prominent corner of Alton Road and Lincoln Road for more than 50 years. The Enzo Gallo Murals are part of Miami Beach history and have high artistic value. They are one of the few public artworks in the City depicting key elements of American history, making the preservation thereof important not just artistically, but as a matter of civic pride.

Prior to the building being demolished, members of the Miami Beach preservation community urged the City to take action to save the Murals as the private property owner had no obligation to save them.  Subject to the City confirmation, the owner's representatives indicated the owner would take steps to cut and remove the Enzo Gallo Murals in an effort to preserve them so as long that the owner was not responsible for storing them for future installation and provided that the removal did not delay the owner's private project.

Consequently, on June 22, 2022, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Resolution No. 2022-32204 directing the Administration to take all steps necessary to assist with the efforts to remove and store the Enzo Gallo Murals at an appropriate to-be-determined temporary location, pending selection and approval of a suitable permanent location for the Murals. Additionally, said Resolution accepted the owner's donation of the Murals to the City and referred the foregoing to the Art in Public Places Committee for an advisory recommendation as to potential locations for the placement of the Murals.

The Miami Dade Preservation League (MDPL) entered into a storage space lease agreement with a private landlord to temporarily store the Murals at no cost, at 1656 Alton Road (the "Storage Facility"). The storage space lease is set to expire on December 31, 2023, and the Murals must be relocated beforehand. The Storage Facility is slated for redevelopment and will be undergoing construction in the near future; and therefore, unable to continue housing the Murals.

In accordance with Resolution No. 2022-32204, the Administration has researched viable warehouse locations to house the Enzo Gallo Murals until such time the Miami Dade Preservation League and Art in Public Places find a permanent home for the Murals, within the next three (3) years.  The Administration is seeking approval to negotiate such a lease agreement for the Enzo Gallo Murals with rental rates within $13 to $16 per square foot (PSF) and approximately 4,000 square feet of space (i.e. $16 PSF x 4,000 SF = $64,000.00 year).  Funding for storing the Murals has been submitted as an enhancement for the FY 2024 budget.

 The purpose of this referral to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee is to discuss negotiating a storage lease agreement to temporarily house the Enzo Gallo Murals.