Pembroke Pines city commissioners Wednesday approved a contract to launch a tax-exempt nonprofit designed to benefit a Sept. 11 memorial sculpture.

The nonprofit, called the City of Pembroke Pines 9/11 Memorial Foundation, would begin culling donations toward a museum that would house the Sept. 11 sculpture.

Last August, one of the two sculpture’s artists, Benoit Menasche, pitched a two-story gallery fitted with four double-doors, closet space and two bathrooms.

Designed by his son, Davie-based architect Maurice Menasche, the building would cost about $300,000 and be installed inside City Center, an in-progress 115-acre mixed-use downtown plaza sitting just west of Pines City Hall, 10100 Pines Blvd.

“We need to encourage people and local businesses to make donations to this foundation to get the project up and running,” said Vice-Mayor Angelo Castillo.