What happened to the statues at Fifth Avenue South in Naples?

Walking around Fifth Avenue South in Naples, you might notice something missing. Where are the statues?

They’ve gone MIA, and many in Naples are not OK with it.

We’ve had a lot of you asking if we know what happened, and now we have answers.

It turns out the company that used to own properties like this one where the statues once stood left, and when they did, the statues went with them.

It’s like a game of Where’s Waldo that no one knows they’re playing.

“Something is missing. The vibe is not here,” said Sharona Acton, Naples resident.

The walk down Fifth Avenue feels different.

“When you come down here, you come down, and you want to look at the statues. It’s history,” said David Fodor, Naples resident.

So, WINK set out to solve the mystery, and it turns out the statues went away when Hoffmann did. The Hoffmann family put the statues up back in 2015, and when they sold their 27 properties downtown back in October, they left empty spaces where the statues used to stand.

Because it’s all private property, it’s now up to the new owners, M Development, to replace them and the community really hopes they do.

“Get some new sculptors or some new people that have businesses and give them the opportunity to show what they do,” Fodor said.

WINK reached out to M Development to ask if they plan to replace the beloved statues but has yet to hear back.