Population: 1,581,000
Type of Requirement: City Council Resolution

Physical Address:
Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy
City Hall, Room 116
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Main Contact:
Kelly Lee, Chief Cultural Officer for the City of Philadelphia and Executive Director
Email Kelly | 215.686.3989

The Policy establishes that projects built on land acquired from and assembled by the Redevelopment Authority (RDA) with a construction budget of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) or more and single family residences with a construction budget of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) or more are subject to a mandatory public art requirement. Residential housing projects involving public subsidy are excluded from the requirement.

Projects subject to the policy must budget no less than one percent (1%) of the total building construction cost to acquire original, site-specific works of public art to be incorporated into the building site. The Committee does not approve of a commemorative work when it is simply illustrative or is a literal portrait of an historical figure; or is one which will function or be perceived as an institutional, corporate, or commercial symbol or logo. Developers may partner with a recognized visual arts professional or establish a panel of recognized visual arts professionals and submit an alternate way of fulfilling the requirement. A Committee-approved Alternate Plan may include subsidizing the leasing of storefront space to non-profit arts groups, doing an off-site project, sponsoring an exhibition of temporary work on vacant lots, etc.

Alternatively, developers may contribute one percent (1%) of the total construction cost to the Fine Art Development Fund. Redevelopers with construction budgets between one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) and one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) are required to contribute to the fund.