Artspace requirements
To move into the lofts, applicants must be low-income artists, earning less than 60 percent of the area’s median income.
Artists wanting to live in the Artspace development can expect to pay $271 for a studio apartment and up to $905 for a three-bedroom apartment.
The minimum monthly household income formula equals equal two times the monthly rental rate. Prospective tenants will also meet with the selection committee to discuss their commitment to art before they are granted a rental agreement.
For rental assistance questions and applications contact Holly Cole, site manager, 513-256-6750 and hamilton@artspace.org.
Residents have been getting anxious to see the unveiling of the Artspace Hamilton Lofts project that was supposed to open in June, but now has a tentative date set for late August or early September. Some tenants have already moved in, and they are revealing what others can expect to see in a few weeks.
When Sarah White, Artspace’s director of property development, announced last month that the $11.8 million project, which includes commercial and living space, would be delayed a second time – some wondered what the finished product would look like.
Councilman Tim Naab was among those with a burning curiosity about when the project will be done and how it will look.
White said that Naab, along with former mayor Don Ryan, businessman Mike Dingeldein, and former Fitton Center executive director Rick Jones were among the key community stakeholders who were responsible for inviting Artspace to town in 2007.
“Tim and this group of community members helped us with community outreach as we evaluated the feasibility of an Artspace project in Hamilton, and as we conducted an artist market study,” she said.
Naab said he thinks the project has been delayed and put off for valid reasons, but he would like to see it completed before the snow hits the ground. He spoke with White and was hoping to have all 43 residential units filled by Sept. 15.
“A little bit slower than we anticipated, but some of the people that are applying are hoping to be artists, but the bottom line aren’t qualifying as artists,” Naab said. “I’m glad people are applying, but it is one of those things that happens when not everybody qualifies. But it is a beautiful building. This project really has come a long way.”
The downtown renovation project at 222 High St. also has 3,000-square-feet of ground floor commercial and gallery space. The Almond Sisters Bakery, Unsung Salvage Design Company and Renaissance Fine Art Supplies will occupy some of the commercial spaces.
Holly Cole is the site manager for Artspace, and she said the residential units are still only about 50 percent full.
“We are about half full right now,” she said. “There are 18 units that are occupied right now, and 10 applications are processing. Also, three or four tenants should be moving in within the couple of weeks.”
Although there hasn’t been a rush to grab open loft living space as was hoped by the project’s developers, Cole thinks that some momentum is building.
“There has been a lot more traffic lately,” she said. “I think now people are seeing more artists living here and that is giving us more exposure. People are getting the fact that you don’t need to be just one type of artist to live here, or they didn’t think they would qualify. I think some people were scared to apply because they believed that. ”
Cole said the social event, Alive After 5, has helped get some necessary meet-and-greet action going with the artists who are living in the lofts, but delays have happened and, once again, more patience will be needed before a grand opening can be scheduled.
“We are hoping to have the building completely full by October,” she said. “We had some problems with HVAC and that was one of the delays, but thing are going smoothly and it looks like we could have a grand opening in late October or early November.”
The grand opening has already happened for Liz Morgan and Mark Whitlock, both of whom are current residents in the lofts.
Morgan, 48, who is from Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, describes herself as a writer, who is newly single and now has the freedom to write and surround herself with other artists types for inspiration.
“Things are going well here. I love writing fiction and my favorite place to go used to be the library. I fell in love with books and now have the opportunity to write,” she explained. “When I was married, I didn’t have the support to write. I think this is a great situation living here and being surrounded by all of these artists and creative minds. I’ve got tons of windows and I’m inspired by light. The lofts are amazing - I don’t have a single complaint in life.”
Whitlock is a photographer and lifelong Hamilton resident born and raised on East Avenue, who had a brain aneurysm five years ago. He said he only remembered his photography afterwards, but wanted to build on what that meant.
“Long story short, I had a brain aneurysm and they put me on disability because I am such a high risk,” he explained. “I love photography and I love taking pictures of Hamilton. People don’t realize how beautiful it is. Living here is nice because you can discuss things with other artists and it gives you enthusiasm to do your best work.”
His dream about the lofts: “some day I’m going to open a photography studio in here. I’m not there yet, but it will happen someday.”
That’s music to the ears of Mindy Muller, who is one of five members who make up the artist selection committee. They want to welcome the Morgan and Whitlock types to Artspace Hamilton.
“From my perspective the project seems to be moving forward successfully,” she said. “I’ve been impressed with the variety of arts represented and the people are certainly interesting.”
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