Population: 69,773
Type of Requirement: Ordinance

Physical Address:
Arts Commission
1666 North Main Street
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Main Contact:
Steven Huss, Public Art Manager
Email Steven |  925.943.5848

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

• New construction, alteration, or addition to a nonresidential building in the City and of twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet or greater;
• Buildings of twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet or more in the Core Area;
• Construction or alteration of buildings at least fifteen thousand (15,000) but less than twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet or the addition of fifteen thousand (15,000) to twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet to buildings in the Pedestrian Retail District or the Core Area;
• Construction or alteration of underground and structured parking facilities necessary to meet off-street parking and loading requirements, see §10-2.3.201;
• Construction or alteration of buildings owned by 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations; and
• Construction or alteration of hospitals.

Exceptions to this requirement can be found in the code referenced above.

Projects may satisfy the requirement by installing on-site public art, the value of which shall be one percent (1%) of construction costs for non- residential buildings and Core Area buildings; or one half a percent (0.5%) of construction costs for non-profit organizations, hospitals, parking facilities, and buildings in the Pedestrian Retail District or the Core Area. Maintenance and conservation of the artwork will be the responsibility of the property owner. Alternatively, developers may pay an in-lieu fee to the public art fund, the value of which shall be equivalent to the onsite art installation. When the value of the art would be fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) or less, it is encouraged, but not required, that a payment be made to the fund. Until July 1, 2021, a developer choosing to make a payment to the fund will be allowed to deduct twenty-five percent (25%) from the requirement.