Miami isn’t helping a hedgie bring two works of art by Richard Serra and James Turrell to an office project:
Bruce Berkowitz, founder of Fairholme Capital Management […] wanted to build an Arquitectonica-designed office building, but not just any building — an area-unique, anvil-shaped 10-story headquarters for his business and also his foundation on a lot on 26th Street and Biscayne Boulevard in Edgewater. The exterior of the nearly windowless building will be a new type of concrete embedded with glass fiber optics that renders it translucent. At night, the building should glow. Yes, grandiose plans, but all privately funded.
The perk for the public was that it was Mr. Berkowitz’s intention to install in two massive sculptural modern art masterpieces by art stars Richard Serra and James Turrell, which the investment manager purchased and are valued at $35 million, in the lobby. The pieces could only improve Miami’s art cred.
All Mr. Berkowitz needed from the city of Miami was zoning approval. He was willing to bend, and to amend his architectural plans to conform to the Miami 21 zoning code.
Miami turns away free art (Miami Herald)
