LINC - artist space resources

Artist Space: The Big Picture
Access to affordable space plays a significant role in the ability of artists to produce artwork and contribute to the fabric of communities.
Read more HERE.

Back After Hiatus

And we're back!
Its been a busy summer, so posts on the blog have been few and far between. But I am able to refocus on arts and real estate once again, so look for more frequent posts as we move into the fall.

- Paul Ruppert

Rhode Island Avenue: Diamond of the District

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development today released for public comment an economic development plan for the Rhode Island Avenue NE Great Streets Corridor. The document "Rhode Island Avenue: Diamond of the District" outlines recommendations which are expected to guide an estimated $1.2 billion in private and public investment in a mix of uses through the year 2025.

The draft plan can be accessed here.

Office space for Non-Profits - Columbia Heights

Two office spaces are available for lease at the Emergence Community Arts Collective at 733 Euclid St. NW to a non-profit, 501c3 organization working in DC.

1) Second floor office, 350 sf (3-4 workstations) with a private full bath. Rent is $650 per month plus utilities. Available now.

2) First floor office, 150 sf (1 workstation) with shared bath. Rent is $350 which includes utilities. Available July 1st.

Parking is available. Contact Sylvia Robinson at sylvia@ecacollective.org or (202) 462-2285.

List of FHA Approved Condos

If you are looking to use FHA financing to buy a condo, then be sure that the condo has been approved by going to this HUD website.

HPAP Orientation - Sat, May 30

Latino Economic Development Corporation is holding another orientation meeting for people interested in learning more about the Home Purchase Assistance Program on Saturday May 30 at 10am.

More details here.

Noa Gallery - Reopening in DC

NOA Gallery & Design Studio (New, Old & Abstract) is owned and operated by Michael Little, artist and designer. Located at 132 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., NOA Gallery is presenting a long awaited reopening on Saturday afternoon, May 16, from 12-4. NOA Gallery is located within the Shaw, Bloomingdale, and LeDroit Park boundaries of Washington, D.C. The Gallery will be open from Wednesday to Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday hours from noon to 6 p.m., all other times by appointment (202-483- 7328)

Studios at Savage Mill

Savage Mill in Savage, MD is a historic complex of buildings spread over 175,000 square feet and is now home to antique centers, home furnishing stores, craft galleries, artist studios, specialty shops, and destination restaurants.
Find out information about resident artists here and call 410.792.2820 x.229 for more information about studio space.

Gateway Arts District Open Studio Tour - May 16

A critical mass of arts activity is emerging in the Prince George's County Gateway Arts District featuring studios, galleries and businesses concentrated along a 2.1-mile stretch of the Route 1/Rhode Island Avenue corridor. Now in its 5th year, the annual Gateway Arts District Open Studio Tour will showcase more than 100 artists throughout the four municipalities of Mount Rainier, Brentwood, North Brentwood and Hyattsville on Saturday, May 16 from Noon to 5 pm. The event is free and open to the public.
More information here.

Studios at Arlington Arts Center

Now accepting applications. Deadline is May 22. For more information check out AAC-Studios. The studios are shared spaces and cost $150/month.

Studios at Montpelier - Deadline approaches

Next week is the deadline for the applications for Studios at Montpelier in Prince George's County.

The Montpelier Arts Center (MAC) rents studio space to qualified artists at a rate of $8.00 per square foot per year. To become eligible to rent space, you must be selected by jury.

The next juried competition for studio space at MAC is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, 2009.

To enter, please bring the completed application form and up to five examples of your work to the Montpelier Arts Center on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 between 9:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M. Those who are selected by the jury will be granted a one-year lease; or, if there is no space available, their names will be placed on a waiting list.

For more information, please call (301) 953-1993 or (410) 792-0664 or TDD (301) 490-2329, or email us at Montpelier.Arts@pgparks.com.

For more information visit Montpelier Arts Center Studios

Focus Group - Artist Housing in NoMa

CuDC is holding a focus group on artist housing in Noma next Wednesday. Here is the info -

Participate in our focus group: Be a part of bringing affordable rental housing for artists to DC. CuDC is working with the Cohen Companies to bring you 30 artist units, including 1 and 2 bedroom layouts, ready for move-in by February 2010. Come learn about this project at 3rd and K NE. Join us for a focus group on Wednesday, May 13th from 6-8 pm at Flashpoint (916 G Street NW) to hear about the project, see the designs and share your thoughts. We'll have floorplans, finishes samples and more. RSVP to housing@culturaldc.org by Wednesday, May 6th.

for more info:
Cultural Development Corporation
t: 202.315.1305

Happenings in your Neighborhood

Thinking about moving to a new neighborhood? Want to get a fix on all the nitty gritty details - crime reports, bulk trash pickup requests, etc.? Then subscribe to DC.everyblock.com . From their web site:

“What’s happening in my neighborhood?”

For a long time, that’s been a tough question to answer. In dense, bustling cities like Chicago, New York and San Francisco, the number of daily media reports, government proceedings and local Internet conversations is staggering. Every day, a wealth of local information is created — officials inspect restaurants, journalists cover fires and Web users post photographs — but who has time to sort through all of that?

Our mission at EveryBlock is to solve that problem. We aim to collect all of the news and civic goings-on that have happened recently in your city, and make it simple for you to keep track of news in particular areas. We’re a geographic filter — a “news feed” for your neighborhood, or, yes, even your block.

You can subscribe to the feed by selecting a neighborhood, zip code, block, etc. and receive a daily or weekly summary.

Application for DC Tax Abatement Program

Click here for more information on the Tax Abatement program for first time homebuyers in DC. This is a link to the 2007 form. In 2008 they raised the house price limit to $326,700 and also raised the income limits slightly.

Lower Income Home Ownership Tax Abatement

Eligible homeowners, including non-profit organizations and shared equity investors, may receive a five-year tax abatement and be exempt from paying recordation and transfer taxes. To qualify, you must meet the following conditions:

+The property must be owner-occupied;
+The owner must meet the income level requirement; and
+The property must be less than $327,000 in value

If you have questions about if you qualify for this program or whether you can take advantage of it when you buy your house or condo, send me an email - pwr (at) ruppertrealestate.com - and I will try to answer your questions.

HPAP - Am I eligible for a loan?

To be eligible for HPAP assistance, you must meet the following criteria:

+Be the head of the household and a first-time homebuyer.
+Be a low-to-moderate income resident, based on the Department’s standards.
+Cannot have had ownership interest in any residential real estate within the three years prior to application.
+The purchased home must be the borrower’s primary residence and must be located within the District of Columbia.
+Possess a good credit rating.

Applications are prioritized based on the following:
-low-income, elderly, handicapped, disabled or displaced District residents
-other District residents
-non-residents who have been employed in the District for one year prior to application
-non-residents who have lived in the District for three years as an adult

Building Credit

What do you do when you don't own a home or a car and don't have an extensive credit history to qualify for a mortgage? One solution is to build a credit history based on the bills that you pay and have those bills recognized by an alternative credit agency.

I don't have any direct experience with PRBC, but it seems like a great idea for artists who are trying to build evidence of good credit in order to buy a house.

From their web site:

PRBC is America's Alternative Credit Bureau, providing a helpful service to the over 50 million people with limited or no credit history. If you pay your monthly bills on time, PRBC can help you build credit to qualify for a mortgage, car loan, and better interest rates.

Find out more at www.prbc.com. Their web site includes links to several articles about this new way to build credit. As always, Caveat Emptor!

Affordable Housing - HPAP

People with low to moderate incomes (including artists and other creatives) might think that they’ve been priced out of the housing market in DC, but in fact this could be a good time to buy a home in the city. Along with historically-low interest rates and falling home values, both the federal and city governments provide a wide variety of programs to assist people with modest incomes to find the house of their dreams, from providing low-interest loans to property tax exemptions.

The Home Purchase Assistance Program is administered by the DC Department of Housing and Community Development. Eligible participants could qualify for $44,000 in down payment and closing assistance.

Several community organizations hold regular training sessions and the Latino Economic Development Corporation is holding an orientation session on Saturday May 9 from 10 am - noon. From their web site:

Learn how you can obtain up to $44,000 in downpayment and closing cost assistance for the purchase of your first home in DC. In this brief session you will learn the steps for applying for this 0% loan from the DC government and the process of home purchase. Afterwards you will be ready for your first appointment with an LEDC housing counselor who will assess your individual situation and goals.

Fore more information visit the LEDC web site here and click on Events and Trainings.

Hyattsville Arts Festival - May 16

Thinking about a move to Hyatsville?

Its time for the second annual Hyattsville Arts Festival. You'll have a chance to check out the scene and talk to over 35 artists who live and/or work in the neighborhood.

More details here.

Blagden Alley - warehouse to rent

Large studio available for lease on 2nd floor of converted warehouse on historic Blagden Alley. 1,890 sq. ft. + 800 sq. ft. loft. $3,200/month plus utilities.
Check out more details here.

Fast Cities 2009 - Vancouver

The host of the 2010 Winter Games is going for green, using its big moment as a chance to catalyze change. All 18 buildings in Vancouver's Olympic Village are being built to LEED Gold standards, except the community center and one residential building, which are targeting LEED Platinum.

Read more about Vancouver here.

Fast Cities 2009 - Tucson

It all began with a dare. In 2003, Tucson native and former surgeon general Richard Carmona challenged his friend, Mayor Robert E. Walkup, to turn their hometown into the model of a healthy city. He has done it, reshaping his city into a place where health and safety aren't an afterthought, but an integral part of municipal planning.

Read more about Tucson here.

Fast Cities 2009 - New Orleans

The recovery of post-Katrina New Orleans has unleashed a new generation of social entrepreneurs. A sterling example: the Broadmoor Improvement Association and its dynamic president, LaToya Cantrell. Broadmoor is a racially mixed, middle-class historic district dating to the 1920s. During Katrina, it saw 7 feet of flooding. The venerable association found a new mission after the storm, when much of the area was in danger of demolition and rezoning as green space. Neighbors collaborated with researchers from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and students from Bard College on a comprehensive development plan.

Read more about New Orleans here.

Fast Cities 2009 - Taipei

Taipei has strived to achieve "zero landfill, total recycling" by 2010, 30 years ahead of the UN's trash targets. It will probably fall short, but its policies are still exemplary.

Read more about Taipei here.

Fast Cities 2009 - Malmo

After recession nearly wiped out Malmö's industrial base in the 1980s, the city had a chance to start over. It created eco-friendly neighborhoods of transformed tenements and old shipyards. Much of Western Harbour now runs solely on renewable energy, including wind and solar, while organic waste from the area is turned into biogas.

Read more about Malmo here.