Artspace Tampa

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.

The above conceptual rendering is subject to change

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. 

Donate to support Pre-Development II here.

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

Artspace Tampa Arts Market Study survey results event, October 7, 2021

Artspace Projects’ Tampa Arts Market Study (AMS) Executive Summary

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.

Survey Respondent Profile

1,159 total survey respondents!

Of those interested in live/work artist housing:

report qualifying at 80% or below Area Median Income (AMI).
0 %
report qualifying at 60% or below Area Median Income (AMI).
0 %
report qualifying at 30% or below Area Median Income (AMI).
0 %
  • 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.

Space Needs Overview

90% indicated an interest in at least one type of creative space in Tampa. Of these:

are interested in relocating to affordable artists’ live/work housing.
0 %
are interested in private studio space.
0 %
58% are interested in renting shared creative space.
0 %

For the location of live/work housing, respondents are most interested in:

Seminole Heights 54%
Downtown 52%
Ybor City 49%

Note: Location is influenced by these preferences but will ultimately be determined by cost, feasibility, and securing Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).

ARTSPACE PROJECTS' RECOMMENDATIONS:

  • 89-128 units of affordable artist live/work housing for households qualifying at or below 60% of AMI, or 110-149 units qualifying at or below 80% of AMI in Tampa.
  • Up to 100 private studio spaces in addition to live/work housing, with at least 2/3 of the spaces leased at $1.00psf or less. (There is demand for $1.00psf or greater as well.)

Following these results and with the encouragement of Artspace Projects, Artspace Tampa Initiative is moving forward to the next project phase, Pre-Development I.

PRESS

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.

HISTORY

How a grassroots initiative grew

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. 

 

PEOPLE

Artspace Tampa Initiative
Steering Committee

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

Artspace Tampa Initiative
Core Group

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

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS:

INCLUDING

Tucker/Hall

IN-KIND DONORS