The Cedar Works recently announced the date of its mid-construction preview party in October. It's also accepting tenant applications. The 15,000-square-foot warehouse, which will have 15 to 20 studios, seems, on the surface, to have grade-A potential as a gentrification cautionary tale: Warehouse in diverse neighborhood gets reclaimed; hipster artists who walk around with one pants leg rolled up move in; lower-income families who are not involved in the yarn-bombing scene feel alienated.
But this particular reclaimed-warehouse community—just south of Baltimore Avenue on 49th Street—seems to be aiming for something different. Designed by Friday Architects, the Cedar Works will have art studios, yes, but there will also be professional offices as well as an indoor-outdoor community space where local activities can be held—workshops, meetings, freebie fun days when artists are compelled to do face-painting for neighborhood kids (just a thought).
For potential studio renters, here are the details:
Size: Between 300 and 1,600 square feet
Price: $12 per square foot per year
Required: One-year lease
Amenities: High-speed wi-fi; kitchen access
· Conceptual drawings and more