Freedom of Expression
Supporting Diverse Arts Spaces
In the Headlines
21 February 2012P.S. 109 Gains Ground
Having received a crucial federal tax credit, an abandoned public school in East Harlem is one step closer to becoming a home for art and artists. When construction is complete, P.S. 109—a collaboration between Artspace and El Barrio’s Operation Fightback, both grantees of Ford's Supporting Diverse Arts Spaces initiative—will offer affordable housing for artists and their families, and creative spaces for community and arts groups like the Hip Hop Theater Festival.
More Information
- Learn more about Artspace
- Read about the plans for P.S. 109
- Learn more about the Hip Hop Theater Festival
- Explore our Supporting Diverse Arts Spaces initiative
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Joshua Cinelli
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Housing for Artists Gains Tax Break
February 16, 2012 By Jake MooneyA plan to turn an East Harlem elementary school into 90 affordable apartments for artists and their families and space for community arts groups has received a critical federal low-income housing tax credit worth about $24 million. Construction, its developers said, should begin by spring.
The project is a collaboration of Artspace, an organization based in Minneapolis that builds affordable living and work space for artists, and El Barrio’s Operation Fightback, a community development organization in East Harlem. The groups expect to spend $50 million to convert the school, the former Public School 109 on East 99th Street.
A spokeswoman for Artspace, Melodie Bahan, said the next step would be to transfer ownership of the building to the two groups from the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Construction can start immediately after that, Ms. Bahan said; it is expected to last two years. A year into construction, the groups will begin taking housing lottery applications from potential residents.