City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
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Consideration of a Form Lease for Renewing and Issuing Leases to Artists and Arts Organizations through March 31, 2022 at the Torpedo Factory Art Center located at 105 N. Union Street.
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ISSUE: Consideration of a form lease for renewing and issuing leases to artists and arts organizations through March 31, 2022 at the Torpedo Factory Art Center ("Art Center") located at 105 N. Union Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council schedule a public hearing on September 12 regarding the form, and content of the proposed lease to be used for renewals and new leases at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, and at the conclusion of the public hearing authorize the City Manager, using of the attached form lease, to renew current leases and issue new leases to artists and arts organizations.
BACKGROUND: The Torpedo Factory Art Center leases most of its space of 82 studios and galleries to approximately 110 artists and arts organizations. Rent and event rentals in the Art Center cover annual staffing and operating costs. During the course of a year, the City may execute some up to 100 leases with artists most of whom lease for a year or more, with some 15 artists subleasing for much shorter periods of time. In addition, with many studios shared by multiple artists, the leases are also often amended as the artists within a studio change. Given that the presentation of that many leases for public hearing and Council approval would be burdensome and not add value to the public decision-making process. The practice the City has used is to use a standard form lease which did not have to be brought to Council each time the lease was executed. However, periodically it makes sense for the stand...
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