Our Mission
Artspace creates affordable live and work space for artists, cultural organizations, nonprofits and others to revitalize and promote stable, vibrant and safe communities.
Our History
Artspace is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation founded in 1980. Our mixed-use projects incorporate affordable housing and commercial spaces such as artist studios, galleries, small retail shops and offices for nonprofits and small businesses.
The organization was established by artists in need of affordable, safe spaces to both live and work. The first project converted the 80,000 square foot Eccles Browning Warehouse on Pierpont Avenue into an affordable mixed use space. Along with housing, the Pierpont Project offered artist studios, office space and retail shops. Artspace had a twenty-five year lease on Pierpont that expired at the end of February 2008. Instead of leasing, Artspace now owns all its buildings.
In 1995, Artspace completed our second project, turning the California Tire and Rubber Company Building warehouse into 53 residential units, including 52 units of Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), plus 10,000 square feet of commercial space. This warehouse was originally constructed in 1915 as a cold storage warehouse and now provides affordable housing as well as space for community gardens, a neighborhood market and other small businesses. Rubber Company won the 1997 Award of Excellence from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.
In September 2001 Artspace completed our first new construction project, Artspace Bridge Projects. This building has 62 units of LIHTC housing and 20,000 square feet of commercial space that houses art galleries, offices for nonprofit organizations and small businesses, and retail space. Bridge Projects won a 2002 American Institute of Architects Utah Merit Award.
Artspace opened Artspace City Center in 2006, utilizing equity from Federal and State Historic Tax Credits (HTC) and New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC). This historic building was the original ZCMI warehouse, built in 1905. Trains pulled in to the building on an interior track bisecting the warehouse, which is now an interior courtyard with skylights. Artspace revitalized this 62,000 square foot warehouse and turned it into 18 affordable artist live/work townhouses and over 20,000 square feet of commercial space. City Center won the 2006 Outstanding Achievement Award from Utah State History.
In 2007, Artspace purchased the former Utah Barrel and Scrap site. This 3.67 acre property was a scrap metal recycling and storage lot in Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency's Granary District. Artspace cleaned up this designated brownfield through the Utah Department of Environmental Quality's Voluntary Cleanup Program, and then used the site to build Artspace Commons, Utah's first mixed-use Gold LEED certified affordable housing project, and Artspace Solar Gardens, the first net zero mixed-use building with onsite solar production in the state. This effort earned Artspace a 2009 Pollution Prevention Award from the Utah Pollution Prevention Association.
Artspace Commons, our largest project to date, was completed in 2010 and financed with equity from NMTCs. This project includes 102 units of affordable apartments and 50,000 square feet of commercial space. Commons won the 2011 Envision Utah Governor's Quality Growth Award based on its creativity, community spirit and market savvy.
In 2013, Artspace completed construction of Artspace Solar Gardens, a mixed-use building with community gardens and on-site solar power production. The project, which was financed with both NMTCs and Renewable Energy Tax Credits, has 10,000 square feet of street-level commercial space and 30 affordable residential units. By installing enough solar photovoltaic panels to generate power for the entire building, this building is the first net-zero affordable housing project in the state of Utah. Artspace Solar Gardens earned a Most Outstanding Project of 2013 award for its sustainable features from Utah Construction & Design Magazine and a 2014 Sustainable Business Award from Utah Business magazine.
Adjacent to Artspace City Center, Artspace Macaroni Flats was completed in December of 2016. This project rehabilitated the former Western Macaroni Manufacturing Company warehouse where Antonio Ferro, Pasta King of the Mountain West, produced more than 45 types of pasta. Built in 1900 and vacant for over ten years, Artspace turned the project into a mixed-use building that includes 13 affordable apartments and over 5,000 square feet of store-front commercial space. The project was financed with both NMTCs and Federal and State HTCs and includes many sustainable features such as a rooftop solar panel installation, rainwater harvesting and other green features.
Artspace Greenery, completed in October of 2017, is our second net-zero energy project with onsite solar production. Located adjacent to Artspace Solar Gardens, this .31 acre lot was formerly used as a scrap yard for a painting contractor. Financed with NMTCs, the project rehabilitated two existing buildings and added an addition to create 5,500 square feet of commercial space. Artspace Greenery provides community gardens for the area and includes a 1,732 square foot café and community space occupied by Spice Kitchen Incubator to provide a business training program for refugees and New Americans.
Artspace projects are catalysts for revitalizing neighborhoods and spurring further positive development. We will continue developing new projects as demand continues. Artspace is committed to revitalizing low-income areas by providing affordable live and work spaces, modeling sustainable building practices and enriching the community.