By Mark NolanArtists would flock to Patchogue Village if only they had affordable places to work and practice their craft. And now, Art Space, the national non-profit organization that builds living and studio space for practicing artists, is one step closer to building in the village.
On Tuesday night during a special joint hearing before the village’s Planning and Architectural Review boards, Artspace received approval from the ARB to construct a 41-unit development on Terry Street. The village planned a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Wednesday night after The Long Island Advance went to press. “It enables artists who are making a living waiting on tables or from their art to remain here,” said Marian Russo, executive director of the Village’s Community Development Agency. “We could become that artists’ community here on Long Island.”
The deadline for Artspace to receive needed approvals is fast approaching. The organization must meet the village’s Jan. 22 deadline for plans and have its application submitted to New York state by the end of February. The plan calls for constructing a 60,000-square foot building in three sections, with one tower to be five stories tall and two live/work areas to be three stories high. There would be roughly 2,500 square feet of commercial space for a coffee shop or wine bar, between 60 and 70 parking spaces and plenty of gallery space. The idea, Artspace representatives said, was to create a unique building that houses artists who love to display their art for the public. In fact, one of the criteria to be chosen to live in an Artspace building is a desire for an artist to integrate their work into the community.
“They have to have some sense of community,” said Shawn McLearen, project manager for Artspace. “We don’t want artists who lock themselves away.” Throughout the public hearing,McLearen said Artspace would work with village officials and comply with village code. A question was raised if architects had adequately designed to allow access by emergency responders. Architects said they were planning to install a freight elevator and that there was adequate space around the entire building to allow fire trucks complete access in the event of an emergency. Developers also said they urge Artspace residents to be creative in designing their live and workspace, but would follow village codes regarding outdoor plantings.
While many aspects of the design were unveiled Tuesday, developers still have quite a bit of work ahead of them. Both the Planning and Architectural Review boards said Artspace would have to submit more plans as the project progresses, including showing what type of street lighting would be used, how sidewalks would be installed and what type of landscaping would exist. “The plans are still evolving,” said Matthew Meier of Hamilton, Houston and Lownie Architects. Hans Henke, a member of the ARB, even asked if the plan took into account the potential effect of Patchogue’s dense pigeon population. “I don’t know how you prevent pigeons,” Meier said. “All the bricks and panels are washable. This will be in their national portfolio and I would venture a guess that they will want it to be clean.” As artists spoke in favor of the project, a college art professor at St. Joseph’s College asked if Artspace had taken into account that artists sometimes work with semi-hazardous materials. It was a question also asked by the Planning Board. “All units are well ventilated,” McLearen said. “We take that very seriously.” The plan calls for using environmentally- friendly materials wherever possible and having as much natural light filter into the residences as possible to allow artists plenty of light to work with. The windows will be large and there will be galleries open to the public during certain hours. Artists on the first floor will be encouraged to open their windows and doors to the public to allow pedestrians to see first-hand the vibrant community within. A member of the ARB said she and her family visited the Artspace building in Bridgeport and were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the artists and the aesthetics of the building. “These are people I want as neighbors,” she said. Mayor Paul Pontieri said Artspacewould greatly enhance the arts in the village. “I’m excited about the gallery space throughout the whole development,” he said. “We’ll be able to do some really neat things from art shows to artists in residence so people can work with the artists and be able to create something that will join the theater and the artists community and give people more reason to come here. The whole goal is for that area to become an artists’ community.”
Officials said they expect to break ground on the $19 million project in late summer if all approvals are obtained.
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