Population: 153,656
Type of Requirement: Ordinance

Physical Address:
Community Development Department
456 West Olive Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Main Contact:
Trudi Ryan, Director of Community Development
Email Trudi | 408.730.7444

The Code establishes that the following projects are subject to a mandatory public art requirement:

• All nonresidential developments, including new construction of a main building, an addition of at least ten thousand (10,000) square feet to a main accessory building, or new construction of an accessory building when located at any of the following intersections:
  • El Camino Real and Wolfe Road;
  • El Camino Real and Remington Drive/Fair Oaks Avenue;
  • El Camino Real and Sunnyvale Avenue/Sunnyvale Saratoga Road;
  • El Camino Real and Mathilda Avenue;
  • Central Expressway and Lawrence Expressway;
  • Central Expressway and Mary Avenue;
  • Mathilda Avenue and State Highway 101;
  • Mathilda Avenue and State Highway 237;
  • Lawrence Expressway and State Highway 237;
  • Lawrence Expressway and State Highway 101.
• Nonresidential developments, including hotels, located on a lot of two acres or more, including either new construction or any addition of at least thirty thousand (30,000) square feet; and
• Phased projects, when the aggregate floor area of all construction reaches specified levels.

Projects may satisfy the requirement by installing on-site public art with a value equal to two percent (2%) of the construction valuation. Alternatively, developers may pay an in-lieu fee to the public arts fund of an amount equal to one and one-tenth of a percent (1.1%) of the building valuation. The additional tenth of a percent (0.1%) shall be dedicated to the art maintenance fund for repairing and maintaining art purchased by the in-lieu fee. This fee shall be paid prior to issuance of any building permit. If developers opt to install on-site public art but the artwork cost falls below two percent (2%) of the construction valuation, the remaining amount shall be contributed to the public arts fund.