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AFFORdable housing forever
Checks should be made payable to Tampa Arts Alliance and mailed to:
Tampa Arts Alliance
701 S. Howard Ave #106-233
Tampa, FL 33606
Please note in the memo: for Artspace Tampa
Thanks to a generous commitment of land by Darryl Shaw, Artspace Projects now has site-control at 1610 E 3rd Avenue in Ybor City. This pivotal achievement allows Artspace Projects to move forward with planning details necessary to get to construction.
Preliminary plans rendered by Alfonso Architects, subject to change, envision a building on the 23,000 sq. ft. plot of land that will house approximately 60 live/work units and 4,500 sq. ft. of gallery/amenity space. The project will largely be financed by tax credits and supplemented with philanthropic donations. More details here.
First though, there remains the completion of fundraising for pre-development work.
On behalf of Artspace Projects, the Tampa Arts Alliance is raising $600,000 to complete pre-development tasks like project design, engineering plans, develop overall financial modeling, site assessments and more. With completion of this work, Artspace Projects will be well-positioned to launch the capital fundraising campaign which will largely depend on Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
The project must raise $550,000 by May 31, 2024 to keep moving forward and maintain site-control.
FAQs
Q: How much will rent be?
A: The Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program will partially finance the project. This limits the maximum amount that can be charged for rent based on the resident’s income. For example, a household making 80% or below the Area Median Income (AMI) for Hillsborough County can’t be charged more than $1,216 for an efficiency, $1,303 for a 1 bedroom, and $1,563 for a two-bedroom. These numbers will lower for those making 30%-60% AMI.
Q: Why contract with Artspace Projects based in Minneapolis versus a local developer?
A: Artpsace Projects, Inc. is a non-profit developer of only affordable live/work housing for artists and cultural spaces or over 40 years. The buildings they produce remain affordable in perpetuity. Some developers who utilize low-income tax credits switch their buildings to market-rate housing when the credits expire. Artspace doesn’t do that. If there’s a local non-profit developer who wants to make the same commitment, the Alliance would love to have a conversation with them.
Q: How does supporting this project support Tampa?
Supporting this project is a long-term investment in Tampa artists. Every phase of the project creates a positive economic impact on Tampa. To date, money has gone to artists, staff, non-profits, architects, and surveyors who are all Tampa-based. As the project progresses, there will be engineers, general contractors, lawyers, consultants, construction personnel, and all the ancillary expenditures that go into building a project of this size. After construction, a local management team will be hired to oversee the operation of the building and tax revenue generated by the creative workers living in the building.
artspace tampa initiative history
The Artspace Tampa Initiative formed in 2020 to explore the possibility of building an independent facility that always stays affordable as the city grows. They engaged Artspace Projects to conduct studies and surveys to assess need and desire for a potential project. While the idea gained significant community interest, the Artspace Tampa Initiative was not a legal body and the project now taking shape needed home. In 2021, the Tampa Arts Alliance adopted project while the original Artspace Tampa Initiative Steering Committee continued leading fundraising efforts.
Read through the project history and it’s impressive community impact to date.
Download the Arts Market Study report of findings from 2021
Energized by the positive results of the Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) in January 2021, Artspace Tampa Initiative quickly engaged Artspace Projects in the next phase toward building an Artspace facility in Tampa – the Arts Market Study (AMS). The AMS was informed by an online public survey that collected anonymous data from the local creative community to help determine the scale and scope of the project.
The AMS data demonstrates strong demand for a mixed-use, artist live/work project in the model of an Artspace Project in Tampa. Because the space need is strong and varied, multiple project models and space solutions can be explored by local stakeholders.
1,159 total survey respondents!
Of those interested in live/work artist housing:
Wide representation of arts, cultural, and creative industries, as well as a mix of races and ethnicities as self-reported by respondents.
76% of respondents who are Tampa residents interested in affordable live/work housing have considered leaving Tampa, but 95% of them would be encouraged to stay for this opportunity.
90% indicated an interest in at least one type of creative space in Tampa. Of these:
For the location of live/work housing, respondents are most interested in:
Note: Location is influenced by these preferences but will ultimately be determined by cost, feasibility, and securing Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).
Following these results and with the encouragement of Artspace Projects, Artspace Tampa Initiative is moving forward to the next project phase, Pre-Development I.
Nonprofit Artspace looking to develop live-work concept for Tampa artists, March 31, 2021, Creative Loafing
New Artspace in Tampa? You can help decide by taking the Arts Market Study survey now, March 30, 2021, 83 Degrees
Art in Your Ear 2021-03-26, March 26, 2021, 88.5 WMNF
Investing in Creativity and Celebrating Community, March 17, 2021, On the Record with Sarina Fazan
Artspace eyes Tampa for next project supporting artists, September 25, 2020, 83 Degrees
Big Picture: Mathew Richter, Executive Director of Seattle’s Cultural Space Agency, discusses the importance and impact of affordable live-work spaces for artists. Café con Tampa, 2020.
Update: August 2022
Pre-Development I has been funded and kicked-off in August 2022. This phase will determine the project location and size. The process typically takes 3-6 months. Learn more about this project phase by viewing our fundraising concept paper here.
To date, more than 35 individuals and organizations have donated to this initiative- thank you!
Donate to support Pre-Development II here.
Update: October 2022
October 2022: The Artspace Projects team visited Tampa for the first time since the Tampa Artspace Initiative began in 2020. This was a significant milestone not just because of the visit but because it’s the first step in determining a site location for the Artspace Tampa building. Finally meeting face-to-face over lunch at the Columbia honored the hard work of founding leaders and gathers momentum for the next phase.
During their visit they met with several community leaders. The Tampa Housing Authority and the City provided insight on the big picture of affordable housing in Tampa and potential sites to consider. A land owner suggested a site the team will explore further. A driving tour of Tampa neighborhoods offered context to the 2021 Arts Market Survey responses. Visiting a grassroots project (Ybor Kress Building) and an anchor arts institution (Tampa Museum of Art) offered a snapshot of the arts in Tampa.
The Artspace Projects team is emboldened by a positive trip and now begin an analysis of potential locations/areas to determine feasibility within their parameters for financing and construction.
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June 2022: The Gobioff Foundation announced a match of funds donated by the Vinik Family Foundation. By June 2022, the leadership of these foundations and donations from passionate individuals completed fundraising efforts necessary to start Pre-Development I.
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January 2022: the Vinik Family Foundation announced proceeds from their innovative immersive art installation “Tampa Fresh Foods” would be given to the Tampa Arts Alliance to benefit Artspace Tampa.
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November 2021: the Steering Committee voted to seek support of the Tampa Arts Alliance to house the project, allowing for continued growth and project advancement.
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October 2021: an Executive Summary and a presentation of survey findings took place on October 7, 2021 via Zoom – a recording of the event is available here.
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May 2021: The AMS survey closed on May 6, 2021 garnering an excellent response of 1,159 surveys taken.
Artspace Consulting processed and assessed the survey data to produce a final report: the Arts Market Study (here) and accompanying Technical Report (here).
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January 2021: The consulting team at Artspace Projects concluded a Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) for Tampa in January 2021. An executive summary of their findings is here; the complete PFS is available to download here; and a recording of the virtual presentation of these findings is here. Energized by the positive results of the PFS, Artspace Tampa Initiative and Artspace Projects conducted an Arts Market Study (AMS), informed by data gathered in an online public survey. The AMS survey collected anonymous data from the local creative community to help inform the scale and scope of the project.
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2020: Artspace Tampa Initiative was formed by local arts advocates, artists and local leaders. They formed a Steering Committee, chose Tempus Projects as their fiscal agent and engaged the consulting team of Artspace Projects, Inc., the nation’s leading nonprofit developer of affordable living/work space for artists and arts organizations, to help build an Artspace facility in Tampa.
Neil Gobioff, Gobioff Foundation | Steering Committee Chair
Erin Aebel, Trenam Law
Tonja Brickhouse, retired United States Air Force Colonel & former Department Director, City of Tampa
Peter Lefferts, former executive of Citicorp & American Express
Tracy Midulla, Founder/Director, Tempus Projects
Ned Pope, Agile Thought
Lisa Reeves, SeaSalt Properties
Michael Tomor, Penny and Jeff Vinik Executive Director, Tampa Museum of Art
Aislinn Stone | Tampa Museum of Art
Janette Berrios, Symphonic Distribution
Brad Cooke, Strategic Property Partners
Emily Ghosh, Soul Media
Eileen Goldenberg, Artist
Andrea Graham, Stageworks Theatre
Sheree Greer, Kitchen Table Literary Arts Center
Alex Harris, Arts Conservatory for Teens
Wendy Leigh, Unity of Tampa, Producer, Arts Administrator
Robert Miles
Margaret Miller, USF College of The Arts
Robin Nigh, City of Tampa
Paula Nuñez, Tampa City Ballet
Cynthia Rogers, Consultant
Selina Roman, Artist
Edgar Sanchez Cumbas, Artist
Emiliano Settecasi, Artist
Alex Sink, Former Florida CFO
Ann-Eliza Musoke Taylor, Yates & Taylor Law
Susana Weymouth, Florida Orchestra Chief Development Officer
Jessica Todd, Artist
