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Sarasota's 'Unconditional Surrender' statue officially moved

The 26-foot tall sculpture will remain on the bayfront, blocks away from its original home

SARASOTA, Fla. — Strapped down and securely pinned to the back of a flatbed truck, the man and woman immortalized in an iconic Sarasota sculpture could still be seen passionately embracing one another en route to their new home, Thursday morning.

The 26-foot tall "Unconditional Surrender" statue was moved just up the road, still on the bayfront, so construction can begin on a new roundabout.

The sculpture resembles a famous 1945 photograph of Victory over Japan Day in Times Square.

Sarasota commissioners voted 4-1 to move the statue back in November. The decision was made in order to make room for a roundabout on U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue. 

The roundabout is part of the city's bayfront connectivity plan, which includes a series of similar roundabouts along the major highway in order to improve the traffic flow and make it easier for people to cross the road.

City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch said the plan had already been decided on more than a decade ago - around the same time "Unconditional Surrender" was erected.

The couple was back on solid ground by the afternoon after being safely bolted down between Marina Jack's and Oleary's.


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