A new home for the arts?
By Dave Dreeszen ddreeszen@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Sunday, November 30, 2008
Local realtor Rich LeGrand stands in room in the Orpheum Theatre building. LeGrand wants to create apartments with artist's studio space. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)
SIOUX CITY -- It's not easy making a living as an artist.
Just ask Mark Kochen, who still struggles to make ends meet, nearly a decade after becoming a full-time painter.
"If I didn't have a network of support from clients and family, I'd be (out of luck),'' says the 28-year-old Sioux Cityan, whose colorful murals grace the exteriors of several local buildings. "I can't imaging getting by with any less support.''
Help could be on the way for more local artists.
Ritch LeGrand, owner of the Orpheum Electric Building, is considering a unique plan that would convert the upper floors of the historic downtown Sioux City structure into affordable apartments and workspaces exclusively reserved for artists.
He has hired Artspace, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit group that has completed more than three dozen such projects around the country in the last 30 years, to help evaluate whether the tri-state area would be a good match for the live-work space.
"It's not a guarantee at this point,'' LeGrand said of the potential redevelopment, which would run into the millions of dollars.
Representatives of Artspace will make an on-site visit this week, holding a public forum on Monday night and holding a series of focus groups with local leaders and members of the artist community on Tuesday.
To pique Artspace's interest in the project, LeGrand obtained letters of support from several local groups, including the city, Downtown Partners, the Art Center and the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra.
Downtown Partners executive director Roger Caudron said the artists' apartments would bolster the Orpheum as the "cultural center'' of downtown's growing cultural and entertainment district.
"It gives us the opportunity to draw new artists to the community, and also draw out people who are budding artists and give them an opportunity to both afford living space and be able to practice their craft,'' Caudron said.
Virtually all local professional artists now maintain studios at separate location from where they live. Transitioning to a live-work setup could be a big adjustment for some, but veteran Siouxland artist Paul Chelstad believes the concept would appeal to many artists, particularly those just starting out.
"It'd be wonderful to have something like that here,'' he said.
Artist galleries
If the idea proves feasible, LeGrand envisions creating about 40 one or two-bedroom apartments in the Orpheum. Each unit would include about 200 square feet of well-lighted studio space.
The apartments would be carved out of vacant commercial space on five of the building's eight floors, wrapping around the Orpheum Theater. An opulent vaudeville and motion picture house dating to the late 1920s, local leaders raised more than $10 million to restore the Orpheum as a performing arts center eight years ago.
As part of the artist apartment project, LeGrand envisions establishing art galleries on the skywalk level fronting Pierce Street. During Orpheum performances, the skywalk carries heavy traffic, with ticket-holders walking from an adjacent parking ramp to the theater entrance. That would give the artists a high-profile venue to sell some of their work, he said.
The theater was encased in the commercial space when the Sioux City Gas & Electric Co. built the then-four-story Orpheum Electric Building in 1927. The top four floors were added in 1949. The building later served as the headquarters to Iowa Power Service, a predecessor to MidAmerican Energy, and as a temporary city hall.
Today, the street level is filled with a variety of tenants, including the offices of LeGrand's commercial real estate and appraisal firm, NAI LeGrand & Co. Most of the commercial space on the upper floors, however, has been vacant since the city staff moved out in the early 1990s, after the current City Hall reopened.
After acquiring the building, LeGrand, who is also a local commercial developer, said he always intended to convert the former offices into housing. That's because the L-shaped layout made the commercial space too shallow for larger tenants.
LeGrand said the Artspace concept allows him to not only pursue housing development, but also advance the local art scene, which he describes as a personal passion.
A past president of the Art Center Board of Trustees, he has given the Symphony additional Orpheum space, which has been used as practice rooms for such events as the Iowa piano competition.
Artspace's success
LeGrand said he contacted Artspace after learning about the group's success in establishing artist apartment projects not only in large metropolitan areas, but also smaller communities such as Duluth and Fergus Falls, Minn.
Closer to Sioux City, Artspace is in the midst of a $9 million renovation project in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The group, in partnership with the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce, is transforming the historic International Harvester warehouse at 1000 S. Main St. into 36 residential units, each with studio spaces.
Artspace, which bills itself as "America's leading nonprofit real estate developer for the arts, has completed 21 projects and has a dozen more under construction or development. The organization's 2008 operating budget is more than $8.6 million, and its combined real estate portfolio is valued in excess of $200 million.
Founded in 1979, the group originally served an advocate for artists occupying space in Minneapolis' historic warehouse district. The artists' presence in the district acted as a catalyst for more commercial development, driving up rents and forcing artists out of their spaces, however, said Teri Deaver, Artspace director of consulting and new projects. As a result, the organization morphed into a full-fledged development firm with a mission to establish live-work artist spaces with stable, affordable rents.
Deaver said Artspace relies on low-income tax credits to help fund each of its projects. To be eligible to rent a unit, artists could not earn more than 60 percent of the median income for the local region.
Artspace, which prefers to reuse abandoned or underused historic properties, also has used historic preservation tax credits, tax-increment financing and charitable contributions to finance projects.
If the Orpheum project goes forward, LeGrand said he would seek financial assistance from the city. While he did not specify an amount, he said the request would be similar to city funding to help restore other historic downtown buildings.
Open to multiple disciplines
During its on-site visit to Sioux City this week, Artspace leaders hope to gauge interest in the proposed Orpheum apartments. Deaver, who will be making her first visit to the city, said she is encouraged based on her conversations with LeGrand.
"The building sounds really interesting for this type of purpose,'' she said. "We're certainly encouraged by their vision and their leadership.''
The live-work spaces would be available to individuals engaged in a wide range of artistic disciplines, from painting to sculpting to theater to music.
"We don't really pass judgement on what is art and what's not,'' Deaver said. "We look really more for a commitment to art and pursuing their craft.''
Kochen, who is also a painting instructor at Western Iowa Tech Community College, said he likes the idea of having a group of talented artists together under one roof. In his profession, Kochen said he often draws inspiration from meeting other artists and seeing their work.
"Anything you're around a group of like-minded people, the possibility is there to move yourself forward,'' he said.
Deaver said Artspace projects not only help define a community and building as a detination for the arts, but also breathe new life and energy into the surrounding area.
"It's kind of a catalyst for more development down the road if we can make it happen,'' LeGrand added.
LeGrand said he expects Artspace to complete its report on the feasibility of the Orpheum project by early next year. If it looks favorable, he anticipates it would take a year or two more to get the renovation up and running
If you go
What: Artspace public forum
Where: Gleeson Room, Sioux City Public Library
When: 7 to 9 p.m. Monday
Admission: Free
Purpose: Gather feedback from local artists and other interested residents on possible renovation of Orpheum building space into artist apartments and studios
More info: Call Downtown Partners offices at 255-0014, or log on to Artspace Web site: artspace.org
Just ask Mark Kochen, who still struggles to make ends meet, nearly a decade after becoming a full-time painter.
"If I didn't have a network of support from clients and family, I'd be (out of luck),'' says the 28-year-old Sioux Cityan, whose colorful murals grace the exteriors of several local buildings. "I can't imaging getting by with any less support.''
Help could be on the way for more local artists.
Ritch LeGrand, owner of the Orpheum Electric Building, is considering a unique plan that would convert the upper floors of the historic downtown Sioux City structure into affordable apartments and workspaces exclusively reserved for artists.
He has hired Artspace, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit group that has completed more than three dozen such projects around the country in the last 30 years, to help evaluate whether the tri-state area would be a good match for the live-work space.
"It's not a guarantee at this point,'' LeGrand said of the potential redevelopment, which would run into the millions of dollars.
Representatives of Artspace will make an on-site visit this week, holding a public forum on Monday night and holding a series of focus groups with local leaders and members of the artist community on Tuesday.
To pique Artspace's interest in the project, LeGrand obtained letters of support from several local groups, including the city, Downtown Partners, the Art Center and the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra.
Downtown Partners executive director Roger Caudron said the artists' apartments would bolster the Orpheum as the "cultural center'' of downtown's growing cultural and entertainment district.
"It gives us the opportunity to draw new artists to the community, and also draw out people who are budding artists and give them an opportunity to both afford living space and be able to practice their craft,'' Caudron said.
Virtually all local professional artists now maintain studios at separate location from where they live. Transitioning to a live-work setup could be a big adjustment for some, but veteran Siouxland artist Paul Chelstad believes the concept would appeal to many artists, particularly those just starting out.
"It'd be wonderful to have something like that here,'' he said.
Artist galleries
If the idea proves feasible, LeGrand envisions creating about 40 one or two-bedroom apartments in the Orpheum. Each unit would include about 200 square feet of well-lighted studio space.
The apartments would be carved out of vacant commercial space on five of the building's eight floors, wrapping around the Orpheum Theater. An opulent vaudeville and motion picture house dating to the late 1920s, local leaders raised more than $10 million to restore the Orpheum as a performing arts center eight years ago.
As part of the artist apartment project, LeGrand envisions establishing art galleries on the skywalk level fronting Pierce Street. During Orpheum performances, the skywalk carries heavy traffic, with ticket-holders walking from an adjacent parking ramp to the theater entrance. That would give the artists a high-profile venue to sell some of their work, he said.
The theater was encased in the commercial space when the Sioux City Gas & Electric Co. built the then-four-story Orpheum Electric Building in 1927. The top four floors were added in 1949. The building later served as the headquarters to Iowa Power Service, a predecessor to MidAmerican Energy, and as a temporary city hall.
Today, the street level is filled with a variety of tenants, including the offices of LeGrand's commercial real estate and appraisal firm, NAI LeGrand & Co. Most of the commercial space on the upper floors, however, has been vacant since the city staff moved out in the early 1990s, after the current City Hall reopened.
After acquiring the building, LeGrand, who is also a local commercial developer, said he always intended to convert the former offices into housing. That's because the L-shaped layout made the commercial space too shallow for larger tenants.
LeGrand said the Artspace concept allows him to not only pursue housing development, but also advance the local art scene, which he describes as a personal passion.
A past president of the Art Center Board of Trustees, he has given the Symphony additional Orpheum space, which has been used as practice rooms for such events as the Iowa piano competition.
Artspace's success
LeGrand said he contacted Artspace after learning about the group's success in establishing artist apartment projects not only in large metropolitan areas, but also smaller communities such as Duluth and Fergus Falls, Minn.
Closer to Sioux City, Artspace is in the midst of a $9 million renovation project in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The group, in partnership with the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce, is transforming the historic International Harvester warehouse at 1000 S. Main St. into 36 residential units, each with studio spaces.
Artspace, which bills itself as "America's leading nonprofit real estate developer for the arts, has completed 21 projects and has a dozen more under construction or development. The organization's 2008 operating budget is more than $8.6 million, and its combined real estate portfolio is valued in excess of $200 million.
Founded in 1979, the group originally served an advocate for artists occupying space in Minneapolis' historic warehouse district. The artists' presence in the district acted as a catalyst for more commercial development, driving up rents and forcing artists out of their spaces, however, said Teri Deaver, Artspace director of consulting and new projects. As a result, the organization morphed into a full-fledged development firm with a mission to establish live-work artist spaces with stable, affordable rents.
Deaver said Artspace relies on low-income tax credits to help fund each of its projects. To be eligible to rent a unit, artists could not earn more than 60 percent of the median income for the local region.
Artspace, which prefers to reuse abandoned or underused historic properties, also has used historic preservation tax credits, tax-increment financing and charitable contributions to finance projects.
If the Orpheum project goes forward, LeGrand said he would seek financial assistance from the city. While he did not specify an amount, he said the request would be similar to city funding to help restore other historic downtown buildings.
Open to multiple disciplines
During its on-site visit to Sioux City this week, Artspace leaders hope to gauge interest in the proposed Orpheum apartments. Deaver, who will be making her first visit to the city, said she is encouraged based on her conversations with LeGrand.
"The building sounds really interesting for this type of purpose,'' she said. "We're certainly encouraged by their vision and their leadership.''
The live-work spaces would be available to individuals engaged in a wide range of artistic disciplines, from painting to sculpting to theater to music.
"We don't really pass judgement on what is art and what's not,'' Deaver said. "We look really more for a commitment to art and pursuing their craft.''
Kochen, who is also a painting instructor at Western Iowa Tech Community College, said he likes the idea of having a group of talented artists together under one roof. In his profession, Kochen said he often draws inspiration from meeting other artists and seeing their work.
"Anything you're around a group of like-minded people, the possibility is there to move yourself forward,'' he said.
Deaver said Artspace projects not only help define a community and building as a detination for the arts, but also breathe new life and energy into the surrounding area.
"It's kind of a catalyst for more development down the road if we can make it happen,'' LeGrand added.
LeGrand said he expects Artspace to complete its report on the feasibility of the Orpheum project by early next year. If it looks favorable, he anticipates it would take a year or two more to get the renovation up and running
If you go
What: Artspace public forum
Where: Gleeson Room, Sioux City Public Library
When: 7 to 9 p.m. Monday
Admission: Free
Purpose: Gather feedback from local artists and other interested residents on possible renovation of Orpheum building space into artist apartments and studios
More info: Call Downtown Partners offices at 255-0014, or log on to Artspace Web site: artspace.org
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