Artistic city renewal

Art has long been a catalyst for economic development in urban settings. The Short North district, formerly a run-down area of town, has benefited from a recent makeover that included trendy restaurants, art galleries and clothing boutiques.

More help may be coming to Columbus in the form of low-cost housing where artists can live and work, attracting more people and bringing in revenue.

Artspace, a non-profit organization that helps cities develop affordable housing for local artists, is working closely with the Greater Columbus Arts Council to determine whether such a project is feasible in the city. The goal of the project is to utilize abandoned or run-down buildings, renovating them into spacious lofts or apartments where local artists can live and work. Residents of the apartments will have to income-qualify, meaning they cannot earn more than 60 percent of the area median income.

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. Artspace has completed projects in many large cities across the country, including Houston, Seattle, and Chicago.

With the recent national economic downturn, a major hope for the project is a boost in the local arts scene, which has already been proven a great tool in generating revenue.

"Artists are willing to colonize neighborhoods…and that is one of the reasons that Artspace is called on," said Roy Close, director of resource development for Artspace. "Artists themselves are of interest to people...when artists move into an area, other people tend to follow."

Artspace visited Columbus last week to launch a survey, which can be found at GCAC.org, that will determine the interest of local artists and businesses, the number of "live/work" units that the community will require, what types of artists have interest in living in such space and the need for space for arts organizations or businesses, according to Emily Swartzlander, marketing and communications director for GCAC.

"If a locality wants to attract and retain creative and high-income workers...arts are extremely important in perception of quality of life," said Dr. David Kraybill, professor of development economics at Ohio State.

There are a handful of buildings in consideration for the project, including the Trautman building downtown, Beck Elementary School in German Village and Barrett Middle School in Merion Village. Only one of the buildings will be revamped as part of the project, and the type of space the local artists say they need in order to do their work will determine the site.

"At this point, the physical site is far less important than some of the other details such as the financing and the confidence in the market," said Wendy Holmes, vice president of consulting and resource development for Artspace. "We advise communities to not get too wed to a particular site. If the concept is a good one and one that makes sense for the community and the timing is right, multiple sites will work."

The project has received a good response from local leadership, including Mayor Michael Coleman, Karen Bell, dean of the OSU College of the Arts, and Bryan Knicely, president of GCAC. All were on hand for the launch party last week.

Funding for the project comes from a combination of places, including the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, Community Development Block Grants, investment partnerships, and fundraising. Fundraising accounts for 10 to 15 percent of the project cost, but Artspace sees philanthropic potential from local companies such as The Limited, JP Morgan Chase, and Nationwide Insurance.

"Artists move into a part of town that has been run down and that area really develops...artists bring life," Swartzlander said.

Anna Gerber can be reached at gerber.124@osu.edu.