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Per the City of Sarasota Zoning Code (Sec. VII-701), any developer or property owner who applies for a building permit to construct or improve a multi-dwelling, mixed-use, or commercial development valued at $1,000,000 or more must contribute to public art. This requirement supports the City's ongoing commitment to enhance Sarasota’s visual landscape and cultural vitality through investment in accessible, high-quality public art.
Exemptions:
- Buildings or portions of buildings (calculated by square footage) that include attainable housing units.
- Building permits for individual condominium units.
Developer Contribution Options:
Developers / Property owners may satisfy the public art requirement in one of the following ways:
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OPTION 1 – Payment to the Public Art Fund
- Make a payment equal to 0.5% of the total construction valuation (as specified on the building permit) to the City’s Public Art Fund. These funds support commissioning, maintaining, and promoting public art throughout the City.
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OPTION 2 – Provide Public Art
- Provide public art, subject to approval by the Public Art Committee, on the development site or in a public place off-site, of a value equal to or greater than 0.5% of the construction valuation.
- Public art may be:
- An existing work of art, or
- A commissioned work of art
- For commissioned artwork, an additional escrow deposit of 15% of the required public art fee must be submitted prior to the issuance of the building permit. These funds will be remitted to the applicant upon final approval of the installation.
- Off-site Installations: Artwork installed on City property or right-of-way, and not within the development site, will become property of the City and must be pre-approved by all necessary City departments before submission to the Public Art Committee for approval.
- Review code requirements and eligibility.
- Discuss preliminary ideas or concepts for the artwork and provide assistance with artist selection, if needed.
- Clarify the application and approval timeline.
- Avoid common pitfalls or delays later in the process, including delay of issuing a Building Permit or
- Certificate of Occupancy (CO).
- Email: PublicArt@SarasotaFL.gov, Phone: (941) 263-6349
Ongoing Responsibilities:
Maintenance and Insurance Agreement: (Per Sec. VII-701(b)(2)(d)): The private property owner shall be responsible for the maintenance and insurance of such works of art in perpetuity and enter into a maintenance and insurance agreement with the City before the public art contribution is accepted. The work of art will be considered by the City to be a fixture of the real property upon which it is located, such that title to the work of art shall run with the title to the real property upon which the work of art is located. If the artwork is donated to the City, the artist is required to submit maintenance procedures for their proposed artwork for proper maintenance by the City.
- Removal, Relocation, or Replacement: After a work of art has been approved by the Public Art Committee and/or the City Commission, such work of art shall be retained on site in its approved location and shall not be removed, relocated, or replaced without prior approval. Relocation of up to 500 feet from the originally approved site may be administratively approved by the Planning Director or designee. All other removals, relocations, or replacements will require Public Art Committee approval and review by the Planning Director or designee. Replacement of public art on development sites must be of reasonable equivalent value.
- Change in Ownership: If the property is sold, these responsibilities shall be assumed by the subsequent property owner.
- Additional Public Art: After the required public art has been installed and approved, developers may add additional works of art to their site, as long as all applicable City Zoning Codes are met.
Information Package and Forms:
For questions or for more information, please contact the Public Art Administrator:
- Email: PublicArt@SarasotaFL.gov
- Phone: (941) 263-6349