Philly's Frank Rizzo statue could be back on display this year

Driving the news: Philly's Art Commission gave the green light on Wednesday to remove the 9-foot-tall monument from the city's art collection.

• The approval starts the process of returning the statue to the Frank L. Rizzo Monument Committee within 90 days, per a city agreement.

How it works: The statue will first go to a foundry for repairs.

• The city will pay at least $80,000 to the Rizzo committee to repair damage to the statue, per the agreement.
• The agreement lays out limitations for where and how the committee can display the statue; it must be on private property and in a location that doesn't allow passersby to have unimpeded access to it.
• Yes, but: Those restrictions can be removed if the committee gets written approval from Mayor Cherelle Parker or the city's managing director, Adam Thiel.

What they're saying: Talks are ongoing between the city and committee over where the statue will be displayed, George Bochetto, a lawyer for the Rizzo committee, tells Axios.

• He noted the monument could be back on display before the end of the year.
• City spokesperson Bruce Bohri tells Axios that an exact date for returning the statue has not yet been determined.

• Bochetto expects the Parker administration could return the statue as early as this week.

Catch up quick: The city removed the bronze monument to Philly's former tough-on-crime mayor from its perch outside the Municipal Services Building in 2020, under the watch of the National Guard.

• The statue has long been controversial, but it became a focal point of the racial justice demonstrations after George Floyd's murder. Protesters defaced and tried to tear the monument down.
• The Rizzo committee — which commissioned and donated the bronze sculpture in 1998 — sued the city over its removal.

What we're watching: Where the statue will be located and whether its return to public view will revive new demonstrations.