New affordable housing designed for artists and creatives coming to Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A new kind of affordable housing is coming to Colorado Springs.

Artspace has housing across the country, and in 3 other cities in Colorado. The nonprofit artist housing and studio space will soon be building here in downtown Colorado Springs with the groundbreaking taking place Friday morning.

"It changes a neighborhood because you have all these creative people in a neighborhood with eyes on the street who care about their community, livening it up, and it becomes a hub for the rest of the creative community as well," Artspace Senior Vice President Wendy Holmes said.

This project has been many years in the making. A need was identified a few years ago after noticing artists were being priced out in the downtown area as the city began taking off economically.

"Often what you find in cities is as your city takes off economically, which is certainly happening in Colorado Springs, the artists who add that vibrancy and sense of excitement to the community are the first to get priced out," Downtown Partnership of Colorado Springs President and CEO Susan Edmondson said. "So with a project like this, this is a way to make sure our musicians, painters, chefs, all the people who add to what makes Colorado Springs special and unique have a home here."

As most people know, rent prices have been skyrocketing. Especially in desirable areas such as downtown, it can be hard for a young professional to live.

"What this project says is artists really matter in our community, and we need to appreciate the unique talent that they bring that is unlike other many worthy occupations and people in our community," Edmondson said. "But if artists can't afford to live here, we lose musicians in our churches, people who teach art to our children, people who make this a better place to live. So we want them to know they're valued here."

Artspace Colorado Springs will be a 51 unit live-work apartment complex with individual artist studios. Meaning they're creating right in the space where they live.

"I think one thing we struggle with in Colorado Springs is connectivity," Colorado Springs artist Jeresneyka Rose said. "It's a really big city and everybody's doing their own thing. But if we were able to bring people that maybe we've never seen before in a city of 600,000 people together in a building where we all have creative energy and creative juices. We can just build organic conversations and maybe get inspiration from something we never even thought."

To qualify, one person per household must be an artist or creative making 60% or lower of area median income. Allowing artists to focus on their passion versus working multiple jobs to survive.

"What we hope to do is find people who want to build community, engage with other like minded folks, and really be a hub for the entire creative sector of Colorado Springs," Artspace Director of Property Development Lucas Koski said.

The Colorado Springs Downtown Partnership did a feasibility study years ago and determined there was a need for something like this.

"Often what we see is people who have moved away from a town come back, or people who thought about leaving to go to what some people may identify as a better fit for an artistic career, stay," Koski said. "So that reverse brain drain is one of the more powerful things that we've found in our projects."

They say Artspace will be a key milestone in the city's growth and development to support artists and creatives.

"One of the things that's important to downtown and really the whole city is, is downtown is a state certified creative district," Edmondson said. "Which means we have an abundance of talented artists. So it's so important to us that our artists and creatives be able to live right in the community they're working with."

It will be located at 315 E Costilla St. Construction is set to begin very soon, and the project is expected to be finished and ready to move in towards the end of 2024. With leasing beginning next summer.

"What we're able to do is create an atmosphere where people not only have the ability to make and create art in their own space, but to be inspired by their neighbors and build a community that is supportive and acts as a platform for them to launch or sustain their careers," Koski said.