National nonprofit, Artspace Projects Inc., has chosen the former United Warehouse building at 138 St. Paul Ave. for the creation of live/work units which will be made affordable for artists. The site was specifically chosen for its close proximity to the historic South Main Arts District in an effort to further cultivate the creative area, which is also home to the National Civil Rights Museum. Plans are being developed to renovate the property, built in 1904, and expand the space with additional new construction. The organization works to provide space for artists in cities all over the country at a low cost, coming to Memphis in 2010 to aid with the city’s receipt of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The NEA looked to the promise of South Main particularly with the relocation of the Memphis College of Art’s Nesin Graduate School to the heart of the district at 477 S. Main. ArtSpace will apply to the state of Tennessee for low-income housing tax credits in 2013 and then begin construction with the hope to open in late 2014.
