Plans for an extensive transformation and expansion of the Vero Beach Museum of Art – a two-year project that will see construction of an entirely new two-story building to the west and south of the existing structure – have now been finalized, according to executive director Brady Roberts.

Hard construction costs for what is expected to be a two-year project are said to be $85 million.

“You’ll see some pretty dramatic changes to the campus in the coming months and years,” said Roberts, the museum’s CEO. Programming will continue in the existing building through early 2027.

 The site – situated to the west and south of the existing museum – will be elevated by 9 feet to place the new building outside the flood zone, while affording enhanced views of the lagoon and park through numerous windows. The building will be connected to the two-story hurricane-resistant bunker built in 2012 that is dedicated to art storage.

When the new building is completed, the existing 40-year-old facility will be demolished and that space will be replaced with landscaped gardens, featuring an elevated terrain landscape that will lead to museum entrances on three sides. The main entrance, facing the ‘Under the Oaks’ section of Riverside Park, will open into a modern contemporary gallery.

“That creates multiple invitations to come into the museum. Now the museum becomes the natural thoroughfare in the park. We’re creating an acre and a half of green space in this project. It’s a design that’s made for the environment; it respects the environment and is part of it,” said Roberts.

“This will be a lovely, lovely place in Vero Beach. It’s just inviting; everything is about the invitation to the community to come and enjoy.”

That invitation is underscored by what will be free admission to the bright and spacious first floor, which features a modern and contemporary gallery, the education wing and studios, the Kids Art Zone, retail store, café and multiple terraces.

The first floor will also house administrative offices, a community room that flows to an outdoor event terrace facing the lagoon, and a 300-seat flex auditorium with seats that can be retracted for major events.

The second floor will provide 22,000 square feet of gallery space, double the current space, for the museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions, with skylights bringing in diffused natural light.

To view the second-floor galleries, Roberts said, visitors have the option of attending on a free day, purchasing a ticket, or becoming a member.

A combination of factors contributed to the decision to demolish rather than renovate the older facility, said Roberts, citing severe structural and mechanical concerns, flood risks, a need for expanded gallery and event spaces, and the extensive annual costs of utilities and repairs.

“It was a small museum with broad ambitions; an art school and humanities program and an art museum all under one roof. And that background has served us well. Our building’s given us good service, but it’s at the end of its useful duration,” said Roberts.

He noted that the number of visitors to the museum has grown significantly over the past four decades, with more than 70,000 people drawn during season to its broad-based programming and exceptional exhibitions. It is now one of the best attended small art museums in the country.

Allied Works was selected as the architect for the project in 2022 and has spent the ensuing years working on the design, in partnership with Unknown Studio Landscape Architecture & Urban Design.