Philadelphia's Portal to stay at City Hall for now after last-minute intervention

This comes as the portal was set to be removed from City Hall Thursday.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A last-minute intervention has saved Philadelphia's Portal -- for now -- allowing the popular public art installation to stay at City Hall.

This comes as the portal was set to be removed from City Hall Thursday.

Now, there are ongoing negotiations to keep it in place, Portal CEO Nicolas Klaus tells Action News.

Klaus says it was always part of the plan to make it a permanent tourist attraction, and now, there is hope it can stay long-term at City Hall, thanks to a public-private partnership contract with the city.

The partnership includes the city hosting the attraction, with funding coming from a private patron.

The Portal uses live video technology to connect Philadelphia with cities and countries thousands of miles away.

The Portal first arrived in the city in 2024 as part of Philadelphia's celebrations leading up to the nation's 250th anniversary.

It was initially installed at Love Park but was later relocated to the City Hall courtyard after it was vandalized.