The Philadelphia Art Commission posted their August agenda this morning and it surprisingly included a settlement between the City of Philadelphia and the Frank L. Rizzo Monument Committee on the fate of the Frank Rizzo Statue. This statue once stood in front of the Municipal Services Building at 1401 JFK Blvd., but the City removed the controversial statue in 2020, placing it in storage. That move lead to legal action by admirers of the former mayor, with the case still working its way through the courts. This spring, Axios reported that settlement talks were underway, and now we know the terms of said settlement.

The City has agreed to turn over ownership of the statue and transport it to a location somewhere in Philadelphia or the surrounding counties. Additionally, the City will make a contribution of $80K to the Committee in compensation for damage to the statue that occurred during its removal. In return, the Committee has agreed to some limitations on where the statue can displayed, at least within the city limits. Absent a future mayor or managing director signing off on an exception, the statue can only be displayed on private property. Additionally “the Statue must be displayed in a location that does not allow passersby unimpeded access to the Statue,” with the agreement going on to require the statue be displayed indoors or behind a fence.

After several years of litigation and a change in the mayor’s office, we can understand why both sides were willing to make a deal. Frank Rizzo’s supporters will get a chance to memorialize him as they see fit. And for the City, the problem will quite literally be out of sight and out of mind. Before everything can be finalized, the agreement must be approved by the Art Commission. Sometimes Art Commission meetings can be a bit sleepy when the agenda is comprised of technical issues, but we’re betting the public comments at this summer-time meeting will be spicier than most. It seems unlikely the Commission members would be too interested in blocking a final resolution to this issue, so we expect this will be finalized before the leaves start falling off the trees. As for where the statue will ultimately end up, it’s a mystery for another day.