SANTA FE, August 31, 2023 – The City of Santa Fe Governing Body has approved entering into an agreement to establish an arts hub and arts-oriented district to attract creative development to the Midtown Site. The Exclusive Negotiated Agreement (ENA) is with Midtown Arts and Design Alliance LLC.
The ENA is the second step after the issuing of the RFP, which is aimed to strengthen and support local artists and arts and cultural organizations within the existing 52,000-square-foot Midtown Visual Arts Center. The Art Center currently includes a complex of instructional, office, and gallery spaces in the Marion Center for Photographic Arts, the Thaw Art History Center, Tishman Hall, and the Tipton Lecture Hall that are organized around connecting patios and porticos.
The proposal calls for a co-location of 15 of Santa Fe’s local, most respected, and trusted creative non-profits to create a synergistic platform that optimizes creative resources, shared space, and educational opportunities for the citizens of Santa Fe.
The Midtown Arts and Design Alliance will produce over 60 full-time jobs and 40 apprenticeship/internship jobs with $6M in wages and $2M in artist, consultant, and vending contracts. The new hub will annually serve over 30,000 local community members, including direct support to 15,000 children and youth, low-income households, local artists, and creative practitioners, and bring over one hundred international artists to Santa Fe each year.
"Bringing Midtown to life starts with art and culture, and especially Santa Fe’s own home-grown artists. This proposal represents a great coalition of Santa Fe groups, all focused on making Midtown a new center for creativity and artistic expression. It’s another step forward in moving from planning to doing at Midtown," said Mayor Alan Webber.
wThe hub will encompass a total of 52,390 square feet for both the Visual Arts Center and the last remaining historic military barracks on the property. Leasable commercial space includes 32,361 square feet that will be tiered for mixed-income and affordability to the local non-profit creative workforce.
The Midtown Arts and Design Alliance's collaborative property management and development team are uniquely qualified to implement the project, with senior leadership experienced in the development and implementation of large-scale projects both in the United States and internationally. SFAI will lead the team, which includes the National Development Council, MASS Design Group, Sarcon Construction, and Homewise. Proposed tenant partners represent local organizations involved in community arts and design, workforce and employment development and education, youth and child development.
"Santa Fe’s inspired creators will have a place to mingle, gather, learn, work and play," said Rich Brown, Community Development Department Director. "Growing Santa Fe’s art and culture sectors will not only improve our economy but improve our quality of life enhance community development and attract new businesses."
"There is a tremendous legacy on this property that needs to be honored as we look to the future. With our partners, we are thrilled to lead this vision to build a vibrant and creative cultural hub in the center of Santa Fe, with a mission to improve lives through art, design, education, service, and entrepreneurship," said Jamie Blosser, Executive Director of the Santa Fe Art Institute.
The City plans to release additional RFPs in the coming months to develop residential and mixed-use projects with parcel and master developers and always encourages local entrepreneurs and businesses to submit proposals...
Midtown Arts and Design Alliance
Lead
Santa Fe Arts Institute (SFAI)
Partners
Community Arts and Design
MASS Design Group
Vital Spaces
CENTER
Littleglobe
Black Rock Editions
Currents New Media
Workforce and Enterprise Development:
Creative Startups
UNM STEAM NM
Youth Works
Education, Youth & Child Development:
Girls, Inc
Make Santa Fe
Textile Library
Glass Alliance
Clay Works
Santa Fe Indigenous Center
UNM College of Fine Arts
UNM School of Architecture & Planning
Consultants
National Development Council (NDC)
MASS Design Group
Homewise
Sarcon Construction
Microgrid Systems Laboratory
Co-Fe
Talia Kosh
Property and Asset Manager
Midtown Arts and Design Alliance