Today we celebrate

We’re thrilled to report that we now have site control for the Artspace Hawai‘i project. The Hawai‘i Community Development Authority has approved an exclusive agreement with Artspace and PA‘I for the Bock 40 site in the Kaka’ako neighborhood of Honolulu. The 30,000-square-foot site will be leased to Artspace for 65 years at $1 per year, which clears the path for us to move forward and sets the foundation for a sustainable project. It is at the heart of Artspace’s mission to create enduring, affordable spaces for artists and arts organizations.

The support for this project from public officials, Hawaiian organizations and potential funding entities has been overwhelmingly positive but there’s much work to be done as we continue to move the project forward.

Throughout the next year we will undertake physical due diligence on the site, engage community and artists through outreach projects, and apply for subordinate and grant financing and funding. We plan to apply for state Low Income Housing Tax Credits in January 2013, with an eye to start construction later that year.

Excited as we are about gaining site control, it is the passion of the artists we work with that continually inspire us as we and our PA‘I partners drive this project forward. To see a project from dream to reality takes the commitment and tenacity of many individuals, foundations, and city officials. But it is that moment when the construction is complete that a near-magical transformation happens to the place. It is the moment when the building fills with multi-ethnic, multi-generational, multidisciplinary artists and their families, community members gather in the Hawaiian Cultural Center, Hula dancers communicate the soul of Hawai‘i with their movements, and the building itself awakens with creative energy.

To learn more about the PA‘I Foundation, Artspace Projects, and their joint endeavor that is Artspace Hawai‘i, listen to the November 6th Hawai‘i Public Radio broadcast of “The Business of the Arts.” The Business of the Arts - November 6 2011  Source: hawaiipublicradio.org