TCP at THE ACADEMY...
The first concept of its kind in the city of Atlanta, TCP’s ART-FORCE at The Academy Lofts Adair Park, has the opportunity to become a symbol of inclusionary neighborhood revitalization and community engagement through the establishment of a live/work atmosphere for artists and creative enthusiasts from throughout the region.
The program will focus on arts and community engagement allowing creative enthusiasts, artists, and entrepreneurs to will live, work, and interact both internally among each other, and externally within the Adair Park neighborhood, and the City of Atlanta at large.
The Stryant and Building Insights are the owners and developers of The Academy Lofts. Their redevelopment plan includes 35 affordable micro-units for live/work space targeting creatives and artists, 2500 sf of loft office tailored to non-profits and small businesses, a revamped 3800 sf auditorium repurposed for an art gallery, community event space, a 1300 sf coffee shop and 2500 sf of small classrooms for studio work space. Most importantly, it is at the center of the neighborhood, and a neighborhood center. Providing a place for residents or neighbors to relax and chat over a great cup of coffee, learn ceramics or sculpture from a local artist, start a new business venture, or attend a play, all without ever leaving the community or stepping into a car.
As living costs for Atlanta's creative class continue to rise. As Atlanta’s only organization to provide free studio space and subsidized housing to the city's creative class, TCP is a vital force in supporting the local creative economy. TCP’s goal is to create residencies that maintain the economic and cultural diversity of the City of Atlanta. Our programs promotes a vibrant local artist community by offering selected artists support and resources to create ambitious new works, as well as, serve the surrounding communities through educational programs. Our youth mentorship program partners our resident artists with under-resourced communities via arts-based educational programs for neighborhood schools and non-profit organizations.
TCP’s ART-FORCE program further expands this impact by making affordable housing more accessible to Atlanta’s creatives, retaining the talent and maintaining economic and cultural diversity to keep our city strong. ART-FORCE will provide a minimum of 10 Atlanta Based artists with affordable housing, shared studio space, and presentation opportunities for a 2 year cycle which will begin Feb 1st 2021. Access to additional ameneties such as studios, classrooms, and gallery space will foster creative growth and innovation. In exchange, each resident will serve the surrounding communities through educational programs on and offsite through TCP's Community Arts Program (CAP).
Our new home in Adair Park will not only enable us to serve more youth, it will also allow us to expand our educational efforts to include adults living in the community. ART-FORCE will create new opportunities for Atlanta’s burgeoning arts community and will enable the city to retain its creative talents. The program will have a profound impact on the areas social economy by enriching community life and preserving cultural integrity while encouraging connection with Atlanta’s citizens.
GROWING IMPACT...
Above students from Parks Middle, Sylvan Middle, Gideons Elementary, and Perkerson Elementary work with TCP residents and local volunteers to beautify their community.
Since 2011, TCP has served the 30310 neighborhoods of Pittsburg, Adair Park, Capitol View, and Capitol View Manor by providing housing subsidies to its artists residing in the area. In exchange, TCP residents provide mentorship to the youth of our under-resourced community via arts-based educational programs for neighborhood schools and non-profit organizations. Not only will our new home at the Academy enable us to serve more youth, it will allow us to expand our educational efforts to include the the adults living in our community!
TCP residents guide Adair Park youth of beneficiaries of Blueprint 58 in a documentary arts program "Capturing Community" funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Perkerson Elementary School students work with TCP artists to beautify their school entrance with a mural.
Please consider providing input that will better enable us to serve Atlanta through ART-FORCE.
Your participation in the survey linked above will be crucial in helping our team and future funders better understand you and your needs as a cultural enthusiast and/or contributing member of Atlanta's creative economy. The information gathered here will help us continue to make the case for the importance of community involvement and affordability in property redevelopment.
*Please note ALL personal data will remain confidential and will only be used to support the research and development of this and similar TCP projects.
PRESS & PROGRESS:
Urbanized Atlanta: First look: Historic Adair Park school reborn as affordable 'art-force housing' 2/17/2021
NTCIC: Project Spotlight | Academy Lofts of Adair Park 3/1/2020
Curbed Atlanta: In Adair Park, a rescued Atlanta school and the birth of affordable ‘art-force housing 7/2/2018
ArtsATL: News: Historic former Adair Park school to become affordable housing for artists 11/13/2017
WABE: Affordable Housing For Artists Will Be Available In Adair Park Development 11/7/2017
Gather Good: A Decade in the Making | ART-FORCE Gives Creatives An Affordable Place to Call Home 11/7/2017
Curbed Atlanta: Abandoned Adair Park school ready to be reborn as ‘art-force housing 10/26/2017
Atlanta Business Chronicle: Historic southwest Atlanta school to be renovated into affordable arts community (video included) 10/25/2017
WSB TV: Vacant elementary school will become affordable housing in SW Atlanta 9/28/2017
Invest Atlanta: Long-Vacant Adair Elementary to Be Redeveloped Info Affordable Housing Units 9/27/2017
Atlanta Business Chronicle: City gives Adair School property title to Atlanta Board of Education 1/11/2017
Saporta Report: Neighbors appeal to City of Atlanta to turn over deed of Adair school to APS so it can be sold 2/4/2015 | Sale of Adair Park school tied up in Atlanta BeltLine/APS dispute 2/3/2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
(Atlanta, Georgia- Oct 25th, 2017)
Local Development partnership announces first affordable housing concept marketed to Atlanta’s creatively inclined.
press inquiries: press@thecreativesproject.org
Arts nonprofit the Creatives Project has joined forces with local developers Stryant Investments, LLC and Building Insights, Inc to help fill Atlanta’s housing affordability gap through innovative redesign and social impact programming at the former site of the George Adair School that caters to artists and creatives.
The first concept of its kind in the city of Atlanta, The Academy Lofts Adair Park, endeavors to become a symbol of neighborhood revitalization, historic preservation, and community engagement through the establishment of a live/work atmosphere to support creative and cultural enthusiasts from throughout the region. The Adair School was originally constructed in 1912 and is located at the heart of the Adair Park neighborhood, and only 1 block from the recently completed portion of the Atlanta Beltline trail. The property has been vacant since 1973 and has deteriorated significantly due to roof leaks over the last 10 years.
The plan for redevelopment includes 35 affordable micro-units for live/work space targeting creatives and artists, 5,000 sf of loft office tailored to small businesses and studio workspace, a revamped 3800 sf auditorium re-purposed for an art gallery & community event space, and a 1300 sf coffee shop.
Our vision for the site is a historic redevelopment focused on arts and community engagement where creatives, artists, and entrepreneurs will live, work, and interact both internally among each other, and externally within the Adair Park neighborhood, and the City of Atlanta at large. This building was constructed at the heart of a beautiful community, across from a gorgeous park, and has been a blight for a long time. We'd like to reactivate it so that the structure at the center of this neighborhood can actually become a neighborhood center. -Atticus LeBlanc Stryant Investments
The concept will provide affordable rental units that include creative amenities such as studio access, classrooms, and gallery space to foster creative growth and innovation. In addition, those living and working on site will offer classes, workshops, and seminars, and engage in collaborative and community-based projects.
With a lack of affordable housing options at an all time high, we are extremely excited to create “ART-FORCE” housing to support our city’s burgeoning arts community while enabling Atlanta to retain its creative talents. The Academy will serve as a backdrop for deep conversations about place and community enrichment via arts and culture initiatives while allowing residents time and space to develop new bodies of work, and opportunities for peer collaboration . -Neda Abghari Executive Director TCP
The developers closed on the purchase of the property in June of this year, and the property was rezoned for the concept in July. The redevelopment has already been awarded 1.5M in funding through Invest Atlanta's Housing Opportunity Bond Program to help maintain long term affordability, and will also leverage historic tax credits. The team has been in negotiations with several financial institutions, and looks forward to connecting with additional funding partners to complete the redevelopment by 1st quarter 2019.