Login / RegisterVancouver to convert two warehouses into artist studios as part of pilot program
Two city-owned industrial warehouses are slated to be converted into artist studio space as part of a pilot program approved by Vancouver council today (June 12).
The city will be issuing a request for proposals for the use of a 16,000-square-foot False Creek Flats warehouse space and a 10,300-square-foot building in Renfrew-Colllingwood.
The subleased warehouse space is expected to accommodate about 100 artists between the two buildings, according to Richard Newirth, the city’s managing director of cultural services.
He noted the city-owned spaces happened to be available in areas of Vancouver where there is a lot of demand for artist studios.
“We’ve been seeing sort of a movement of artists eastward in the city,” he told the Straight by phone.
“This really is helping in terms of where the trend is.”
The False Creek Flats warehouse, at 251 and 281 Industrial Avenue, is expected to be leased at a market rate of about $7.50 per square foot plus utilities, and the Renfrew-Collingwood space at 2625 and 2629 Kaslo Street will be leased for about $15 per square foot plus utilities. The lease term will be for between three and five years.
As part of the pilot program, the Vancouver Park Board will also be making six field houses available rent-free to artists in exchange for community-engaged arts projects and programming. Under that phase of the initiative, two studios will be leased in Renfrew-Collingwood, in addition to two in the Riley Park–Little Mountain area, one in Arbutus Ridge, and one in Strathcona. Two other field houses were opened last year.
The program is a result of a motion by Vision Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs that was approved in February, which directed city staff to work with the park board and school board to identify options to provide new artist space.
The city is also in the midst of conducting a regulatory review of artist studios. Vancouver is home to 8,200 artists and has the highest concentration of artists per capita in Canada, according to data cited in the staff presentation to council today.
“Multi-tenant arts studio space is probably one of the highest needs of the arts community here,” said Newirth.
“The regulatory review is more about making it easier to go through the process for artists,” he added. “We’ll continue to do that but I think the best thing that we can do is continue to add more space for artists.”
The city is aiming to have the warehouse tenants move in during the winter of 2012/2013, and artists are expected to begin using the park board facilities by this fall.
If it's by month that's absolutely insane.
If it isn't, it's still like giving someone dying from blood loss a bandaid. Vision Vancouver is pretty successful at buying the support of arts group with scraps. This isn't surprising.
I hope the Redgate gets the one that they asked for on Industrial!
When all the bakers start fleeing Vancouver, I'm sure the city would be more than happy to set aside some space for bake shops.
There is a desperate need for studio space in Vancouver, and no, most artists are not living off "subsidized student loans". Actually mechanics and carpenters find it hard finding shop space at a reasonable rate, so it isn't just "lazy bum artists".
If it is indeed $7.50 per sqft a year, that seems about right.
I really hope that Red Gate are never allowed anywhere near either of these facilities as they have no business acumen whatsoever. If the City and private philanthropists bend over backwards to help you, but you can't even be bothered to reply, you get what you deserve.
What is not in dispute, however, is that artists' working space is becoming less available and more expensive, mainly because of the direct and indirect effects of redevelopment. These pressures have negative effects on shopkeepers, artisans, the working poor, and vulnerable residents of our city as well as artists.
Given the many mistakes that have been made in the past, and the affordable working space that has been lost, and the fact that artists have never represented an electoral constituency with votes worth exploiting, it is commendable that the city has recognized the importance of affordable creative space, and is taking steps to stem the losses. It remains to be seen whether the current strategies will be successful, but they represent a credible effort to address the problem.
Wake up CoV !
"it's not about subsidizing, it's about creating space that's affordable. Distinct difference."
What exactly is the distinct difference?
Subsidize means to "Pay part of the cost of producing (something) to reduce prices for the buyer."
creating space = producing something
making affordable = reducing prices for the buyer
it's called the public sector. in the public sector, people work toward the public or social good, rather than for monetary profitability. this is also called social-profit, or not-for-profit.
in support of this public good, the government provides salaries, grants, and goods so that doctors, nurses, hospitals, schools, police, fire, garbage pickup, landscaping, etc. can go on without sales competition. (We'll arrest your armed robbers for HALF what the other guys will!)
artists are included the public sector, not a part of the private sector where bakers and taco makers are. in the private sector, you are left to your own devices to compete in a consumer driven market.
without a public sector, you would have to pay the fire department who put out the fire on your home, the police officer who investigated a crime you were the victim of, the teacher who taught your kids all day, and your doctor for your check-ups.
they may charge nominal cost recuperation fees, but if they had to actually become profitable, the end cost to consumers would be astronomical. and nobody would never actually call the police, go to the doctor, attend public school, or go to an art gallery or a musical concert or to see a play.
without access to education, civil law, health care, city infrastructure, and arts and culture, we would witness a very fast breakdown of society and the economy.
Though i'm left to wonder what happens after all the hard work & investment into the property only to have it be closed a non renewed lease at the end of 5 years.