Artist flats may be coming to Elgin

Downtown Elgin visionaries have long painted a picture of the old streets bustling with pedestrians and thriving with small businesses.

And although the subdued housing market has taken its toll on downtown residential and business development, a proposed new project involving a combination of residential lofts for artist and display space is quickly gaining steam, and just may finally bring the vision to light.

Artspace USA, a 20-year-old nonprofit real estate developer for the arts based in Minneapolis, could by early next year announce the location of a new artist work and live space, a project which could bring 50 to 100 artists, their families and their crafts to downtown Elgin.

Wendy Holmes, vice president of Consulting and Resource Development for Artspace, confirmed the organization has worked with the city to identify eight possible sites for the new development. Artspace has narrowed the search down to two locations, which will require the renovation of an older building and possibly some new construction.

Artspace is also in the final stages of surveying artists from Rockford to the western fringes of Chicago to determine how many of them would consider moving themselves and possibly their families into such a project in Elgin. Holmes anticipates the organization could build a 40 to 50-unit building and open the doors to sculpturists, musicians, painters and other artists by 2011.

Holmes, who has traveled to Elgin at least six times to meet with city officials and tour the downtown, said she and her staff have been impressed with the city's eagerness for such a project so far.

"Working with Elgin so far has been very exciting on several levels," she said. "First, there is a large arts community there that is organized and very passionate, and the statistics we're receiving so far show there is a great need for live/work space.

"Second, we have received a lot of city support. The city staff, the mayor and the council have all been very enthusiastic."

Holmes said the city committed to funding $700,000 in upfront costs toward the project, which involve architectural and legal fees, and environment testing. Once that work is complete, Artspace will hire an architect and begin laying the financial infrastructure through the state of Illinois to allow artists to rent in the space on a sliding fee scale.

Once the project in Elgin and another in Waukegan get off the ground, the cities will join an existing Artspace in West Garfield Park in Chicago for a total of three in Illinois. Nationwide, Artspace is funding 21 projects, including Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Reno, Nevada.

Outside of Washington and Minnesota, Illinois will have the highest number of Artspace projects.

"We have had a lot of interest from Central and Northern Illinois," said Holmes. "In the last two years, a lot of towns with populations ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 have seen Artspace as a way to revitalize their older downtowns."

Sylvia Grady, a former member of the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission and coordinator of the Elgin Arts Showcase, has been working alongside the city on the Artspace proposal. She said Elgin is well-positioned geographically for a successful new art living space.

"There are just so many artists who are working out of their basements or garages and are struggling while doing other things to make a living," she said. "It's difficult to juggle those two things at once. I think with our close proximity to Judson University, Elgin Community College and Northern Illinois University, those college graduates are close to Chicago but may not be ready to move or hone their craft just yet. They may be able to use a new Elgin Artspace to develop their skills a little quicker."

Holmes said if the Elgin project is similar to any of the other Artspace projects across the country, the days of pedestrian-free, forlorn-looking streets in downtown Elgin may become a thing of the past.

"There may be `art crawls' in downtown Elgin and a lot of activity in public places on the street with people going in and out," said Holmes. "Because of who they are, artists keep different hours and create more of a 24/7 feel to a place. Artists are also more united with a community because they share equipment and trade notes with one another.

"We're also very excited about the presence of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in the downtown," she said. "A first-class organization like that only beckons other arts-related causes."