FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—Someone spray-painted the columns outside the historic Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers.
The building was built in 1933. The columns are limestone, so removing the graffiti will be a challenge.
The art center said it could not simply paint over the graffiti or remove it with normal cleaning supplies. Staff said removing the paint will require special care so they did not damage the stone.
Local businesses said the damage was a sad sight to see in downtown Fort Myers. The art center now faces the challenge of figuring out how to pay for the cleanup while preserving the landmark.
“Very sad. Very heartbreaking because we work so hard to keep the downtown clean and nice, and there’s a lot of tourists that come here, and we want to represent Fort Myers in a good, positive way,” Naples Soap Company Store Manager Gwen Billings said. “So it was heartbreaking.”
Fort Myers Police are working to find who is responsible. The art center is working to find the best way to clean the columns.