The Richmond City Council is expected to adopt on July 11, 2017, a 1 percent public art fee on commercial and residential development despite the city’s depressed real estate market. Richmond permitted 25 residential units in 2016 and only 2 in the first four months of 2017. As proposed, private commercial developments valued at $500,000 or more and residential projects with 10 or more units must spend at least 1 percent of the project’s value installing public art onsite or pay the city an in-lieu fee. Staff is recommending the council reject phasing in the fee or imposing the program after the city’s real estate market has recovered to specific levels. If the public art fee ordinance is introduced and approved on July 11 and again on final reading in August, it would go into effect in mid-September. BIA|Bay Area objected to the proposal when it was originally floated in January 2017. Click here to read BIA’s letter dated Jan. 23, 2017. Click here to view the staff report and related documents.
