Downtown expansion called off
The deal to add a branch of Orlando Museum of Art to a luxury tower in the heart of downtown has been called off.
Museum spokeswoman Emilia Bourmas-Fry blamed timing for scuttling the agreement, which was announced with much fanfare last May. It would have seen the museum acquire thousands of new square feet of exhibition space in the high rise, built by Summa Development Group. Plans also called for a rooftop garden featuring glass sculptures by acclaimed artist Dale Chihuly.
News of the project’s cancellation comes as the museum grapples with questions about the authenticity of the Jean-Michel Basquiat works hanging in its latest exhibition, titled “Heroes & Monsters.”
A statement provided by Bourmas-Fry indicated that the museum ended the arrangement. She declined to specify when the decision was made to pull out of the project and did not address whether it had to do with the Basquiat situation.
In an email, Summa Development Group managing partner Albert J. Socol said he would not comment on the museum.
The expansion was announced by the museum as part of a three-prong plan to gear up for the institution’s 100th anniversary in 2024. Other points of the plan included re-envisioning the artwork displayed by the museum and renovating its current home in Loch Haven Park, north of downtown.
Those renovations contributed to the decision to end the tower deal, Bourmas-Fry said in her statement.
“We loved the vision behind the project, but as we progressed through the process, there were some shifts in the project’s timeline which didn’t sync with the existing demands we had for planning our centennial and addressing repairs needed at Loch Haven,” she wrote. “As a result, we decided it was in our best interest to explore other options.”
Museum leadership has long looked for a way to expand, considering options such as a move to Lake Nona, and Bourmas-Fry said a branch location was still in the museum’s sights.
“We are seeking other expansion opportunities downtown,” she wrote.
The partnership with the Summa Development Group seemed like a perfect match. Socol and Marlene Weiss, his wife and business partner, are known for their love of art. After the May 2021 announcement, the project’s lead designer told the Sentinel that he was drawn to the project by the partners’ passion for art.
“Sometimes you get lucky. You get a good client who has an appreciation for art,” said designer Stephen Cavanaugh, DLR Group principal, at the time. “That’s Albert.”
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects — the award-winning architecture firm behind the 1980s expansion and tower addition to the Museum of Modern Art in New York — had also joined the project.
In addition to its downtown location and unique rooftop Chihuly garden, the tower would have provided other amenities to draw visitors to the museum: A convention center and restaurants were part of the plan.
Meanwhile, at week’s end the museum used social media posts to reaffirm its belief in the authenticity of the Basquiat works after an article in The New York Times cast doubt on them.
“We recognize challenges it may
pose when new works appear after an artist’s estate authentication committee is dissolved. That is why we diligently undertook a very rigorous process of research and evaluation before opening this exhibit,” the museum posted on platforms such as its Facebook and Instagram pages.
“The art has been fully authenticated by credible sources, including the person who led the Basquiat estate authentication committee; signed off by leading Basquiat historians, forensic professionals and handwriting experts,” the statement continued.
“This is a regarded industry standard of evaluation and was followed intricately in our planning for this exhibit. We are confident the works are authentic and are proud to present them for the first time to the viewing public.”