Artspace Projects, Inc. is in the middle of putting together the funding for a $15 million development to go on a parcel near the
Guthrie Theater, on the eastern edge of downtown Minneapolis.
The project, which has been dubbed ArtCube, includes 45 affordable live/work studios for artists; it's similar to another Artspace project in Northeast, called the Jac Flats (which
The Line wrote about
here), according to Heidi Kurtze, the group's property development director.
The five-story building will have 8,000 square feet of commercial space, while 20,000 square feet will be devoted to an arts incubator for the larger community, though the details are still being fleshed out, Kurtze says.
A portion of the incubator, from which the development gets the "cube" part of its name, could be devoted to a gallery and offices, plus an artist residency program she says, citing some possible uses for the space.
To figure out the "best and highest use of space," the group will carry on a community engagement process over the next several months. "We're having a number of conversations with nearby arts organizations that are in need of more space," she says.
Also being explored is the idea of an urban farm to go on the building's rooftop--one that could have some kind of connection to the
Mill City Farmers Market, Kurtze says.
On April 5 the City Council's community development committee deemed the project one of 10 city development priorities for transit-oriented design funds this year from Hennepin County, according to city information. ArtCube, which applied for a $500,000 grant from the county, is well connected to a couple of nearby stops for the
Hiawatha Light Rail line.
In addition to the county funds, the group intends to apply for grants from the city and
Metropolitan Council.
Depending on when the financing comes through, Artspace could start construction next year on the L-shaped development, which is adjacent to the future headquarters of the
American Academy of Neurology.
Source: Heidi Kurtze, director of property development for Artspace Projects Inc.
Writer: Anna Pratt