Orlando Museum of Art’s Downtown Expansion Called Off
Local News Staff 
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.”
“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.”
