Population: 144,301
Type of Requirement: Ordinance

Physical Address:
Office of the Arts
1108 Jefferson Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Main Contact:
Diane Ruggiero, Director, Office of the Arts
Email Diane | 703.746.5590

The Policy establishes a voluntary public art program, unless participation is required by the Small Area Plan, zoning regulations, or the Development Special Use Permit. The following projects are excluded from the requirement:

• Places of worship and their accessory uses;
• ARHA or non-profit owned affordable housing;
• Density granted under the affordable housing bonus in § 7-700 of the Zoning Ordinance;
• Projects where a social service agency is the owner and occupant of at least 50% of the proposed premises; and
• Private schools and childcare centers.

Projects may participate by one of the following means: providing a permanent installation of a publicly accessible artwork on-site; on City property, subject to City approval; or on another private property within the same Small Area Plan subject to approval of the owner of the proposed property. The value of the artwork shall be thirty cents ($0.30) per gross square foot with a maximum amount of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for each building.

Developers may also provide cultural facilities or space for arts-related purposes such as performance, rehearsal, exhibition and/or education, or on-site public performance or arts programming. Alternatively, developers may pay a contribution to be used toward public art within the project’s associated Small Area Plan. The amount will be calculated at the rate of thirty cents ($0.30) per gross square foot with a maximum amount of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for each building. Subject to approval, developers may satisfy the requirement with a combination of the foregoing options.