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Dubuque Main Street_NEA Our Town Grant, ArtSpace Study Updateartspace CONSULTING REPORT: DUBUQUE MILLWORK DISTRICT Prepared for D U B U Q U F MAIN STREET 2012 ARTSPACE PROJECTS, INC. 250 Third Avenue N., Suite 500 Minneapolis, MN 55401 612.333.9012 www.artspace.org INTRODUCTION The City of Dubuque, Iowa, has a lovely location on the Mississippi River, a largely intact historic downtown business district, and a strong conviction that the arts are an important civic asset. Indeed, the city itself has been described as "a picturesque urban work of art" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which named Dubuque one of "America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2005. Long a manufacturing center, Dubuque once housed a large millwork district — the nation's leading producer of doors and windows — that flourished until the 1960s. In the early 1900s, i'^o ti Came • ie -Stout Public tibrar0 Art Gallery i Tllafa:...r WilmacNoces ' • n v iJ AveryRailings ' ns ar�.rjali),.AI Caradco Dubu9ue Art Center _ 678Dance5tudi• Id'r,! Grand O•eraH• bu•ueAcade of Ballet Dubu q. Historic Millwork District Dubuque, Iowa The Quad' "�� Warehouse Art Galle Art Found Alamo Town Clock Plaza Festivals tionalMississi •iRh Museum •uarium Historic Old Alain Entertainment District 'Home to: Fly By Night Productions, Rising Star Theater Company, and the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra as the City's website describes it, the Millworking District (the green area on the map at left) `was the innovative and entrepreneurial center of the region and was the backbone of the regional economy. Dozens of companies, 2,500 employees, a district heating system, and intimate connections to Downtown and the Washington Neighborhood characterized the District." The Millwork District is a triangular area sandwiched between downtown Dubuque and the Washington Neighborhood, a working class neighborhood that once housed many of the district's workers. The Millwork District began to decline in the 1960s and within two decades had almost completely emptied out. In the last few years, Dubuque has made revitalization of the Millwork District a high priority. A Warehouse District Revitalization Strategy, adopted by the City Council in 2007, calls for preservation and adaptive reuse of the District's most significant buildings and the creation of "an active, spirited neighborhood and cultural destination for the city, its residents, and visitors." In 2008, the bulk of the original District —176 acres containing 19 2 buildings and five other structures — was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The community's "Envision 2010" process identified restoration of the Historic Millwork District as a "top 10" goal out of thousands of possible priorities for the citizens of Dubuque. The Millwork District was identified as an opportunity to create a unique commercial and residential product not currently available in the market by converting buildings into multi -use structures containing businesses, restaurants, shops, recreation, and residences. The process of renovating the District began in 2010 with a U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER grant that paid for substantial streetscape improvements in the Millwork District. It has continued with the renovation of the Caradco Building, a 186,000 - square -foot millwork factory built between 1880 and 1906 that occupies a full city block; construction began last year and is scheduled for completion by late 2012. Two other large mill buildings, the Wilmac and the Novelty Iron Works, await their turn, as does the 5,000 - square -foot Foundry Building, also known as the Alamo. These four structures occupy the four corners of "The Quad," the intersection of E. Tenth Street and Washington Street that stands at the geographic center of the District. In the midst of all this positive activity and momentum, Main Street Dubuque invited Artspace to visit the community in a consulting role to assess progress and make suggestions to help ensure that the arts are well - represented in the revived Millwork District. The visit took place Feb. 7 -8, 2012. Artspace was represented by Wendy Holmes, Senior Vice President for Consulting and Strategic Partnerships, and Roy M. Close, Vice President for Special Projects. We are grateful to Main Street Dubuque Executive Director Dan LoBianco and his excellent staff, especially Ryan Dierks, for their work in arranging our visit, to the City of Dubuque for its strong leadership and support, and to the many other civic and business leaders with whom we met. 3 FINDINGS Artspace was invited to Dubuque to provide advice about integrating the arts into the ongoing redevelopment of the Millwork District — to help the community "take it to the next level," as Assistant City Manager Teri Goodmann put it. Much has already been done. The City adopted an arts policy in 2006 and is on record in its support of "a flourishing of arts and culture, both indoors and out." There appears to be universal agreement that the Millwork District should have a "vibrant" arts scene. The Caradco Building, now approaching completion, includes a substantial arts component. The building's owner /developer, Gronen Restoration, has set aside one half of the lower level for two arts organizations, the Dubuque Art Center and Studio Works, and the other half for nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity, HEART, Proudly Accessible Dubuque, Green Dubuque, and the Dubuque Jaycees. During our two days in Dubuque, and in our follow -up calls with a number of key stakeholders, we have been impressed with the breadth of leadership in Dubuque — the private sector, public sector, and arts community are all deeply involved in the push to transform the Millwork District into something special — and with the fact that nearly everyone seems to be on the same page. Strong local leadership is an essential prerequisite for any successful arts project, and Dubuque is fortunate to have it in spades. That said, some key questions remain to be answered. In this section we will address several of them, based on our experience as a developer of 30 major arts projects around the country and as a consultant to cities and arts organizations from coast to coast. • What is our opinion of the plan for the Millwork District as it relates to arts uses? Does it need to be changed or tweaked? Is dedicated arts space in every building a desirable goal? Is too much /not enough space being allocated for arts uses? This set of questions might best be summed up as a four -word query: "How are we doing ?" On the strength of two days in the community, much of it spent touring buildings and speaking to stakeholders, we think Dubuque is doing fine and are confident that the community is moving in the right direction with respect to the Millwork District and the arts uses within it. The Caradco Building, now in development, will have a substantial arts component on its lower level. The Wilmac Building across the street is home to a 15,000 - square -foot exhibition space; though we have some ideas about utilizing that space more 4 effectively, we're happy to see the arts ensconced there. Even the Novelty Iron Works Building, the third of the "big three" in the center of the district, boasts a modest (though difficult to access) art gallery. And the Foundry, which shares the intersection known as the Quad with the big three, has considerable potential as an arts (or arts - friendly) facility. Is that too much space to allocate for arts uses? We think not, especially if the Millwork District aspires to be a true arts district with a variety of activities attracting a diverse audience. Even in smaller communities than Dubuque, arts districts tend to be chockablock with arts and arts - friendly uses: galleries, boutiques, wine bars, gift shops, coffeeshops, creative businesses, and so on. Ultimately, of course, the market will decide just how much and what kinds of arts activity the district can support. Stronger uses will thrive and grow; weaker ones will wither on the vine. In the meanwhile, we think the goal should be to encourage as much arts activity as possible. • What can be done to maximize the chances of success of the arts groups based in the Millwork District? Two arts organizations, the Dubuque Art Center and Studio Works, have committed to moving into the lower level of the Caradco Building later this year. Together they will occupy the entire east side of the lower level, about 18,000 square feet. Proponents of the Millwork District as an arts quarter are understandably eager to make sure that these entities do as well as possible, since a failure of either could have a chilling effect on the District's growth as an arts quarter. The Dubuque Art Center (which is planning to change its name to MATTER) was founded in 2008 by Jordan DeGree, its current Executive Director, as a place for fostering creativity in persons of all ages. It defines itself as an arts education organization committed to providing free arts courses and programming for more than a thousand people, an artist -in- residence program, and other activities. Studio Works is a new organization established by Janice Roerig -Blong to provide private and semi - private studios to Dubuque area artists. According to Studio Works' website, five of the eight private studios have already been rented. These two organizations are fortunate to be moving into a facility owned by a company with a demonstrated commitment to the arts. But whether the fit will prove a good one remains to be seen and is difficult to predict. As Carol J. De Vita and Cory Fleming note in Building Capacity in Nonprofit Organisations (The Urban Institute, 2001), Building the capacity of community -based organizations and the nonprofit sector is not a simple task. There is no magic formula that guarantees 5 success, and little agreement exists on where to begin or what to do. Instead, the process of creating and maintaining a robust and effective nonprofit sector exemplifies the tensions and trade -offs that individuals and organizations face when adapting to change. It is through this dynamic process that organizations, like people, learn to adapt and grow to their full potential. That said, we think that Studio Works' business plan is fundamentally sound, and in a follow -up conversation with Ms. Roerig -Blong we suggested several ways in which it might be strengthened. Specifically, we recommended that she (a) allocate more funds for salaries and benefits, (b) reduce the capital budget by eliminating equipment as a capital expense and adding equipment for specific art forms over time, (c) consider long -term loan possibilities such as Program- Related Investments (PRIs), and (d) consider a for - profit organizational model.' Although we have not seen a Dubuque Art Center business plan, we have spoken with Mr. DeGree and understand the basic financial premises of his organization. It will experience substantial growth when it moves into the Caradco, going from an annual budget of $130,000 to $250,000 and shifting from a 50/50 earned /contributed income model to a ratio of 60/40 or even 65/35. We think the Dubuque Art Center, like Studio Works, is a strong candidate for a PRI to help with buildout and launch expenses, and we suggested to Mr. DeGree that he join forces with Ms. Roerig -Blong in approaching the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. We were encouraged that both administrators appear willing to cooperate with each other, as they will need to do if only because their organizations will share common spaces such as hallways and restrooms. Both groups will need access to financial resources not only for buildout expenses but also for ongoing operations. If the Foundry becomes a revenue - generating event center, it could provide some portion of the latter. Several other arts organizations are actual or potential stakeholders in the Millwork District. These include: • The Dubuque County Fine Arts Society, which presents the annual "Voices from the Warehouse District' art exhibition and related events in the Wilmac Building. 1 Although the Studio Works business plan calls for an annual subsidy from private sector resources, we believe it could use an entity such as the Community Foundation as a fiscal agent for fundraising, knowing that over time — say, three to five years — rents from studio spaces will cover operational costs without need to fundraise. 6 • Fly -By -Night Productions, a nonprofit theater company committed to presenting the Millwork Storytelling Series featuring live interpretive storytelling that celebrates the history of the District. • The Julien International Film Festival of Dubuque, which presents international films in the district in partnership with the Beloit International Film Festival. These groups, all mentioned as arts partners in the community's successful NEA "Our Town" grant in 2009, should be viewed as candidates for the same kind of support as the Dubuque Art Center and Studio Works. • What are the best potential uses for the "Voices" space in the Wilmac Building? "Voices from the Warehouse District' is an annual month -long event that includes a visual arts exhibition, performance art, family programming, and other activities that take place in and around a relatively raw 15,000- square -foot space in the ground floor of the Wilmac Building. Voices dates from 2005, when sculptor Gene Tully proposed the idea to Geri Shafer, then director of the Dubuque Museum of Art it was the first exhibition of its kind for both the Museum and the community. Voices is now an affiliate of the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society, but it is positioning itself to develop a year -round presence in the Historic Millwork District and is actively pursuing its own 501(c) (3) status. As it enters its eighth year, Voices is a widely recognized, high - profile art event with music, art lectures, tours, film, theater, and free family programming. The Wilmac Building, which stands directly across Tenth Street from the Caradco Building and is of comparable size, is likely to be the next large building in the District to be redeveloped. The question we were asked is whether its redevelopment should preserve the Voices space? It is a challenging question. Voices is a highly imaginative event that draws considerable attention — and visitors — to the area. In other words, it is the kind of arts activity that proponents of the Historic Millwork District seek to encourage. But in financial terms it is difficult to justify a set-aside of 15,000 square feet for an activity that occurs only once a year and leaves the space vacant for the remaining 11 months. We understand that Voices' leaders are exploring other possibilities and options that might create year -round activity and space demands. Suitable uses and activities for the Voices space that might be led by Voices could include a coffee shop, deli, a gift shop, a cabaret, and /or a black box theater that could be shared by Fly -By -Night Productions and other local troupes. Uses such as these would not only make good use of the space for most of the year, 7 they would address the Millwork District's growing need, as the first of its projected 732 housing units begin to come on line this year, for spaces where people can gather informally and formally. A combination of these uses might mean that there would no longer be room for the entire Voices exhibition in this space. But we see no reason why such an interesting concept has to confined to a single site. On the contrary, we think it makes excellent artistic sense to spread the Voices exhibition throughout the Millwork District — in the courtyard of the Caradco Building, in and around the Foundry, in the Quad, and so on — so that exhibition visitors can experience more of this unique historic neighborhood during their visit. • Is affordable live /work housing for artists a viable option for the Millwork District? When completed, the Millwork District will have more than 700 units of residential housing, all of it market-rate; at this point, there is no plan to include affordable housing in the mix. This may change, however: we were asked to discuss the possibility of affordable live /work housing for artists as part of a future development phase. By "affordable live /work housing for artists," we refer specifically to the kind of rental housing that Artspace has been developing around the country for the last two decades. Artspace's 24 operating live /work projects are apartment buildings in which each rental unit has additional space — typically 100 to 150 square feet — intended for use as a studio by the resident artist. Our projects feature other amenities as well, including high ceilings, large windows, wide doorways, and durable surfaces in every unit; and community rooms that serve as gathering places and galleries. Artspace uses a number of public and private sources (see chart on the next page) to fund live /work projects. Chief among these are federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), which typically generate roughly half of the needed capital for a project. Because the LIHTC program is regulated by Section 42 of the IRS Code, tax credit housing is widely known as "Section 42" housing. By law, Section 42 housing is limited to households whose annual income is at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) in the community where the project is located. In Dubuque, where the current AMI is $63,700 for a family of four, the eligibility ceiling is an annual income of $26,760 for an individual, $30,600 for a two- member household, $34,440 for a family of three, and $38,220 for a family of four. Artspace live /work projects are unlike most affordable housing in that we use an "artist preference" policy to fill vacancies. For each project, we appoint a committee made up of artists who are not candidates to live in that project. The committee interviews income- 8 qualified applicants to determine their commitment to a career in their chosen art form. It does not pass judgment on the quality of an applicant's work, nor is it permitted to define what is or isn't art. Although the IRS challenged the "artist preference" policy in 2007, it SOURCE AMOUNTPCT. Dj 6 Federal low income housing tax credits $ 4,497,843 44.45% Federal historic tax credits $ 1,693,301 16.73% HOME funds (city) $ 132,877 1.31 % Iowa EZ Sales Tax Rebate $ 150,000 1.48 % Private Sources Private sector (philanthropic gifts) $ 2,327,537 23.00 % First mortgage $ 540,000 5.34 % Sponsor loan (Artspace) $ 534,773 5.28 TOTAL 10,119,399 100% Public and private sources for an Artspace project in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The private sector dollars all came from one entity, the Iowa West Foundation; in a city like Dubuque, which has no comparable funding source, we would expect private sector gifts to be closer to the Artspace norm of 10% to 15% of the total development cost. dropped the challenge after the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 became law. That law states: "A project does not fail to meet the general public use requirement solely because of occupancy restrictions or preferences that favor tenants...who are involved in artistic or literary activities." The Artspace live /work model has been proven to benefit communities by: • Animating deteriorated historic structures and /or underutilized spaces, • Bringing vacant and /or underutilized spaces back on the tax rolls and boosting area property values, • Fostering the safety and livability of neighborhoods without evidence of gentrification -led displacement, • Anchoring arts districts and expanding public access to the art, and • Attracting additional artists, arts businesses, organizations, and supporting non -arts businesses to the area. Although many neighborhoods balk at the notion of an affordable housing project in their midst, affordable live /work housing for artists is rarely if ever controversial. Indeed, in our 9 experience it is precisely the opposite: many communities embrace affordable housing for artists as a means of spurring economic development in challenged neighborhoods or retaining artist populations at risk of displacement by gentrification. We think affordable live /work housing would be an ideal component for the Millwork District. The presence of a resident group of artists would do much to ensure a permanent presence of artists, enhance the district's reputation as an arts quarter, and catalyze additional development in the area. • What is the best potential use for the Foundry? The Foundry, also known as the Alamo because of its resemblance to the famous San Antonio landmark, dates from 1884 and is the oldest extant structure in the Millwork District This one - story, 5,400 - square -foot building, which is owned by Gronen Restoration, has been variously projected as a restaurant, an art gallery, a theater, or an event center. Although each of these uses has its merits, we believe the Foundry's size, location, and historical significance all argue strongly for adaptive reuse as an event center. The Foundry is essentially one large room with a high ceiling, tall windows (they are currently filled in with concrete block but will be restored when the building is renovated), and, on the east side, a large central opening that looks out onto what will eventually be a public plaza. From a preservation perspective as well as an aesthetic one, the most preferable reuse would be that which best shows off the building's unique historic character. An event center could easily do this, whereas many — perhaps most — other uses could not. For the Foundry to be a successful theater, for example, the newly restored windows would have to be covered up, and walls would have to be built to separate the auditorium, backstage areas, and front -of -house uses such as the lobby and ticket office. A restaurant would require a substantial kitchen, an art gallery would need interior walls. To a greater or lesser extent, each of these uses would compromise the Foundry's appearance and appeal. As an event center, the Foundry would have a capacity of approximately 250 to 300 seated guests or 600 to 750 for free -flow cocktail -style events. We base this estimate on a comparison with the 10,000 - square -foot Nicollet Island Pavilion in Minneapolis, an 1893 structure operated as an event center by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. In this capacity, the Foundry would be a unique addition to the Millwork District and the City of Dubuque. Although several people have expressed concerns to us that a Foundry event center would compete with other event centers in the community, we question whether this would be a significant issue. It would certainly not compete with larger venues such as the Grand River Center, and as an historic property in an historic district it would 10 offer a clear alternative to more modern venues such as the National Mississippi River Museum. We think it would find its own clientele and be used primarily for weddings, receptions, fundraisers, and other functions in which its age and industrial character would be perceived as assets. Ideally, income derived from events at the Foundry would be used to subsidize artistic programming throughout the Millwork District. We will discuss this concept in the Recommendations section. • Does an umbrella organization for the Millwork District arts groups make sense? And if so, what should it look like? We strongly support the concept of an umbrella organization for the arts groups — and arts activities generally — in the Millwork District. We have seen this concept work successfully in many and varied settings. One example is the Open Book, a Minneapolis nonprofit created to provide and manage space for the Loft Literary Center, Milkweed Editions, and the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. The Dance Umbrella in Austin, Texas, acts as a presenter and provides Austin dancers with a variety of services. And in Dubuque, the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society serves as an umbrella organization for a range of affiliate groups and programs, including Voices. We recommend that this concept be further explored and developed. 11 RECOMMENDATIONS & NEXT STEPS 0 ver the two days of our visit it became clear to us that no one has reliable information about the market for arts - related space in the Historic Millwork District. Dubuque Main Street and perhaps others have been talking to artists for the last three years, and at least one small -scale survey has been conducted. Our arts focus group was well- attended and vocal. But how many of the artists and arts administrators who were in the room are genuinely interested in moving to the Millwork District, how much and what kind of space do they need, and how much rent are they willing and able to pay? No one seems to have accurate data — yet without this knowledge, intelligent planning is impossible. We were asked more than once whether 20,000 square feet (the area represented by the Voices space plus the Foundry) is too much dedicated space for the arts or whether it makes sense to include dedicated space for the arts in all of the Millwork District buildings. The answer is that we don't know. Our first recommendation, therefore, is: 1. Conduct a formal Arts Market Survey. There is no substitute for knowing the market. Rough ideas, intuition, and a conviction that "if we build it, they will come" are fine for the movies, but given the community's commitment to making the arts an integral component of the Millwork District, an Arts Market Survey strikes us as a wise investment. Artspace always conducts an Arts Market Survey before embarking on a live /work project in a city new to us. These surveys are necessary not only because they quantify the need for space and thus guide our decisions about project size, but also because tax credit investors and prospective lending institutions need to be convinced that the market is strong enough to support the project we propose to build. Artspace offers its clients two different surveys: one limited to individual artists and their families in the community and surrounding region, the other a larger survey that also measures the market for space for arts organizations, other nonprofit groups, and creative businesses. It takes us four to six months to plan and execute a survey, analyze data, and prepare a written report. Although this timeline may seem long, we prefer a deliberate tempo to make sure that the survey is actually reaching its intended audience and generating credible data. We conduct our surveys online, which simplifies data processing and makes it easier to determine the need for midcourse corrections. The fees for these surveys are $30,000 and $42,500, respectively. 12 Because both residential and non - residential space are in play in the Millwork District, our recommendation for Dubuque is the larger survey. The survey's primary goals would be to determine the size of the regional market for an affordable live /work project within the district and to identify candidates for non - residential spaces and quantify their space needs. The survey would also identify other variables, such as the preferred ratio of one -, two -, and three - bedroom units, and the need for amenities that serve specific arts disciplines. Our recent experience in Loveland, Colorado, a city of 65,000, underscored the value of an Arts Market Survey. Since we completed the survey in 2010, two for - profit developers have launched projects that will create space for artists near our project, which will enter construction later this year. The survey results gave the developers the confidence they needed a strong market existed for their projects as well as our own. 2. Consider making the Foundry an event center. To transform the Foundry Building into an event center makes sense for several reasons: • As an historic building with a distinct character, the Foundry is best suited for a use that does not require substantial physical modification. An event center, which could use the restored building more or less "as is," answers this description better than any other proposed use we have heard. • The Foundry opens onto what will be a large public plaza — "Foundry Square" in the master plan, which describes the building and plaza together as "a lively, year - round focal point and gathering space in the heart of the District." As an event center, the Foundry would capitalize on this relationship in a direct, attractive way. Foundry Square, as envisioned by Jeffrey Morton Architecture. • As a facility that can be rented for private events, the Foundry has the capacity to generate earned income that can be used to support arts organizations and activities throughout the District. The importance of establishing a reliable revenue stream for the arts in this area cannot be overstated. 13 As a first step, we recommend the preparation of a business plan that examines the potential and challenges of this use. 3. Explore the establishment of an umbrella arts organization for the Millwork District. The Millwork District is likely to attract a variety of arts organizations of different sizes, shapes, and space needs. Some will be nonprofits, others will be for - profit entities. But most of them will need financial support from time to time to improve raw spaces, to help pay for special projects and events, or simply for general operations. And all of them will want to be represented on marketing materials when District -wide activities, such as festivals and art crawls, take place. We recommend the establishment of an umbrella arts organization to address these and related issues. We see this entity as a small nonprofit (one full -time paid employee, at least in the early going) that will have the following responsibilities, among others: • Managing and scheduling the Foundry Event Center, • Managing and scheduling arts events in the Quad and other public spaces within the Millwork District, • Representing a consortium of District arts organizations in collective approaches to fenders such as the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, • Serving as a fiscal agent for District arts groups that do not want or are not ready to become tax- exempt nonprofit organizations, and • Overseeing marketing and public relations efforts on behalf of the entire District. The umbrella organ ization's Board of Directors would include representatives from its member art groups, the District's residential population, and the broader community. For an organizational chart showing one way of defining the relationship of the umbrella group to the various user groups, see the chart on the next page. 4. Give serious consideration to affordable live /work space for artists. Although affordable live /work space for artists is not part of the master plan for the Millwork District, we think it makes a great deal of sense. It would bring a permanent population of working artists into an area that is trying to be an arts quarter. It would make the District more attractive to other artists, to creative businesses such as graphic design firms and photography studios, and to businesses that tend to do well in arts districts, such as coffeeshops, commercial galleries, and wine bars. 14 Live /work projects of the kind Artspace has developed around the country require both development expertise, which the Millwork District has in abundance, and experience with arts projects of this kind, which the Districfs developers do not yet have but which they are certainly capable of acquiring. An affordable live /work project would open the door to Low Income Housing Tax Credits, which typically pay for about half of the total development cost of an Artspace live /work project (see chart on page9). Thanks to our project in Council Bluffs, we are familiar with the Iowa Finance Authority, the state agency responsible for administering the LIHTC program in Iowa. Artspace is willing to continue a discussion of this issue either as a consultant or as a possible development partner. 5. Create an arts marketing plan for the Millwork District We are very impressed by the quality of the marketing materials already in existence for the Millwork District. An important next step is to brand the District as a destination for the arts by giving it a distinctive name — we went with "Historic Millwork District Arts" in the attached organization chart, but this should be regarded as a placeholder. However, a name with the word "arts" in it will attract more attention — and visitors — than a name that focuses on the history of the District. There's an old adage among history museums that getting people to visit once is easy but getting them to return is like pulling teeth. Better to use the arts as a platform for engagement and make sure that there's always something new and interesting happening in these spaces that will grab people's attention. That said, we note that Dubuque is the oldest city in Iowa — it was chartered in 1833, 13 years before Iowa achieved statehood — and is widely noted for its historic architecture. A marketing campaign that capitalizes on both the history and the arts of the Millwork District is likely to have broad appeal. 6. Conclusion All across America, the concept of living downtown is gaining favor as more and more families discover the advantages of residing within walking distance of restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues. And the Dubuque Millwork District is unquestionably moving in the right direction in terms of historically respectful adaptive reuse of the old factory and warehouse space. What remains is for the community and the District's stakeholders to find a way to make the arts — and related creative activities, including creative businesses — a cornerstone of the District's appeal. We are very encouraged by what we have seen and heard so far and welcome an opportunity to continue the discussion. 15 APPENDIX A: ORGANIZATION CHART 1 BOARD OF DIRECTORS HISTORIC MILLWORK DISTRICT ARTS CA I',A/Z ,, . 1„, A„� 46111 .,1 ..d4u u. 6u...SuSAIV.. STUDIO WORKS Board to consist of Millwork District property owners and residents, arts organization representatives, the city, and perhaps others. DUBUQUE ART CENTER ANCHOR TENANTS JULIEN INT'L FILM FESTIVAL FOUNDRY FVFNT CFNTFR 1 1 1 Other nonprofits Creative businesses FLY -BY -NIGHT PRODUCTIONS ANCHOR TENANTS Event Center users VOICES This organization chart shows how the various arts organizations and creative businesses of the Millwork District might be organized under the aegis of a 501(c)(3) umbrella organization. The umbrella organization would operate the Foundry Event Center as a for - profit subsidiary, with revenues to be shared by the mother ship and its tenants. It could also coordinate fundraising and act as a fiscal agent for its for - profit members. artspace BUILDING BETTER COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS What makes a city great? Across America, cities large and small are discovering that one essential quality of every great city is a great arts community. In an era when people are freer than ever to choose where they live, vital arts communities help cities attract and retain residents and businesses. Thriving arts districts are magnets for tourists, restaurants, theaters, and creative industries. In a great city, the arts are not an extra, something to be considered only after "more important" items on the civic agenda are funded. In a great city, the arts are as fundamental as streets, parks, and public transportation. At Artspace Projects, helping cities integrate the arts into their civic agendas is part of our core business. Over the last two decades we have completed 30 major arts projects that contain more than a thousand affordable residences — each with space for a built -in studio — for artists and their families and provide more than a million square feet where artists and arts organizations work, teach, exhibit, rehearsal, perform, and conduct business. We have seen firsthand the power of the arts to transform urban landscapes. Two of our earliest projects helped launch the celebrated renaissance of Saint Paul's Lowertown neighborhood during the 1990s. In Reno, a lively arts district has sprung up around an Artspace project that opened a decade ago. An Artspace project in Seattle turned an abandoned block in Pioneer Square into the center of that city's independent gallery scene. What is Artspace? Established in 1979 to serve as an advocate for artists' space needs, Artspace effectively fulfilled that mission for nearly a decade. By the late 1980s, however, it was clear that the problem required a more proactive approach, and Artspace made the leap from advocate to developer. Today Artspace is widely recognized as America's leading developer for the arts. As a mission- driven nonprofit, Artspace is committed both to the artists who live and work in our projects and to the communities of which they are a part. We work with civic leaders to ensure that our projects successfully deal with the issues they were designed to address. Our programs Artspace programs fall into three categories: property development, asset management, and national consulting. 16 Property development Development projects, which typically involve the adaptive reuse of older buildings but can also involve new construction, are the most visible of Artspace's activities. Artspace typically completes two to four projects each year. Most projects take three to five years from inception to operation. Asset management Artspace owns or co -owns all the buildings it develops; our portfolio now contains more than $500 million worth of real property. All our projects are financially self-sustaining we have never returned to a community to ask for operating support for a project once it has been placed into operation. Revenues in excess of expenses are set aside for preventive maintenance, commons area improvements, and building upgrades. National consulting Artspace acts as a consultant to communities, organizations, and individuals seeking information and advice about developing and operating affordable housing and work space for artists, performing arts centers, and cultural districts. Our expertise as an arts developer gives us not only a unique perspective but also a unique set of skills, and sharing this knowledge we have amassed over the years is central to our mission. Our history Artspace's first live /work project opened its doors in 1990. In the mid- 1990s, Artspace developed its first project outside Minnesota, the 37 -unit Spinning Plate Artist Lofts in Pittsburgh. Invitations to work in other states soon followed. Artspace is now the nation's leading developer of live /work housing for artists with 24 live /work projects in operation from coast to coast. In all, these projects contain 1,008 residential units. Artspace is now a nationally prominent organization with offices in Minneapolis, Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles. We have projects in operation, under construction, or in development in more than a dozen states. Our national consulting program has helped communities in virtually every address their arts - related space issues. The nature of our work is evolving, too, to include multiple - facility projects, long -range planning, arts districts, and arts initiatives designed to serve culturally specific groups such as native Hawaiians, the communities of color in New Orleans, and the Native Americans of the Northern Plains. 17 (11/19/2012) Kevin Firnstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 1 i!I Dubuque's Historic Millwork District Millwork Revitalization Initiative/ Dubuque Main Street (11/19/2012) Kevin Fimstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 2 Millwork District is Sustainable evJ5 Vv TEN COMMUNITY PROJECTS BY 2010 FNVIRc)NMENTAI. /R OLO(ilCAI ___ • I:NIE(4R1ri SUSTAINABLE DUBUQUE viable livable equitable (11/19/2012) Kevin Firnstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 3 Our Town Grant from NEA ri 4 _7 /j j 41i J1 '11?j�1, ►1w; _ r Historic Millwork District Dubuque, Iowa 8 Dance Stud Grand ra House/Mu e!ade of Ballet Old , Musa kITarXilte d( Courthouse Tra� ck PI Festiva (Festivals ,rzNit �a. ..e l � *Five Flays Theatre /Civic Cede* Outside the Line Art Gallery. ' 41l ':i l.M/ �QS 'I(able Car 5'uare a a taw WPC nnettlanto linnet Dub ue Pathwa eda's River Festival Grounds Alliant Energy Am • hithater National Mississi !Lapeer Museum & A uarium Historic Old Main Entertainment District `Nome to: fly By Night Produrtians, Rising Startheatercompany,and the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra (11/19/2012) Kevin Firnstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 4 Our Town — Design Create the conditions for expression & interaction. (11/19/2012) Kevin Firnstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 5 Our Town — Engagement Accommodate and encourage creative participation by the arts community. (11/19/2012) Kevin Firnstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 6 a. Our Town — Engagement Accommodate and encourage creative participation by the arts community. (11/19/2012) Kevin Firnstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 7 Arts & Culture — Management Art Space Study ❑ Give the Arts a "Home" ❑ Not - for - profit arts & culture combined is a $47.2 million. ❑ Is affordable live /work housing for artists a viable option for the Millwork District? ❑ Their Answer — Give serious consideration to affordable live /work space for artists. ❑ LIHTC (11/19/2012) Kevin Firnstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 8 Arts & Culture — Management Art Space Study ❑ Animating deteriorated historic structures and /or underutilized spaces, ❑ Bringing vacant and /or underutilized spaces back on the tax rolls and boosting area property values, ❑ Fostering the safety and livability of neighborhoods without evidence of gentrification -led displacement, ❑ Anchoring arts districts and expanding public access to the art, and ❑ Attracting additional artists, arts businesses, organizations, and supporting non -arts businesses to the area. (11/19/2012) Kevin Firnstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 9 Arts & Culture — Management Art Space Study ❑What are the best potential uses for the "Voices "space in the Wilmac Building/ Foundry building? o Answer: Likely one or the other. (11/19/2012) Kevin Firnstahl - Nov 2012 Millwork NEA Council Report.ppsx Page 10 Arts & Culture — Management Art Space Study ❑Does an umbrella organization for the Millwork District arts groups make sense? And if so, what should it look like? ❑ Reccomendation: Explore the establishment of an umbrella arts organization for the Millwork District.