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Clearwater staff outlines $2.7 million in public-art allocations across capital projects
Summary
City staff presented a project-by-project breakdown of public-art allocations in the FY 2022-23 capital improvement program, identifying $2,716,117 in projected public-art funding across multiple city facilities and infrastructure projects, subject to confirmation of eligible funding sources.
Christopher Hubbard, public art staff, presented the Public Art and Design Advisory Board with a line-by-line summary of public-art allocations tied to city capital projects in the FY 2022-23 program, totaling $2,716,117 across multiple projects.
The allocation list matters because these earmarks set where the city expects to integrate visible public art into major infrastructure and civic projects. Hubbard said some funding sources are restrictive and that staff will work with department directors and finance to confirm whether each dollar can be used for public art.
Major allocations noted by staff included a 1% public-art allocation for the new City Hall (infrastructure sales tax / Penny for Pinellas) of $203,000; a $135,000 allocation for the Solid Waste Administration Complex; $342,580 connected to the groundwater replenishment facility; $187,675 for a reverse-osmosis plant at Water Treatment Plant No. 3; $254,069 for the Public Works Complex; and $230,000 for a proposed downtown parking garage. Smaller allocations were listed for the main library ($5,750), bicycle paths and trail overpasses ($25,000), neighborhood-park renovations ($12,000), Woodgate Park ($18,000), McMullen Tennis renovations ($7,000), Clearwater Harbor Marina upgrades ($36,000), athletic-field renovations ($26,500), Long Center renovations ($100,000), and soccer-field renovation at Eddie Seymour ($10,600).
Hubbard said smaller allocations can be pooled with other project funds or used for modest installations; larger allocations could fund integrated, site-specific works. He cautioned that the $2.7 million figure "is subject to change" pending confirmation of eligible funding sources and added that each eligible project will be brought to the public-art board for the commission process. Board members and residents asked procedural questions about ARPA grant buckets, outreach, and whether infrastructure elements (for example, parking-garage architecture or bridge design) could incorporate art; Hubbard said architects can be contracted as eligible public-art disciplines where appropriate and not already contracted to the project.
Next steps: staff will confirm eligible funding with finance and department directors, bring eligible projects to the board for artist selection, and present commission contracts to City Council for approval.
