Metro is asking the city if it can tear down another 20,000 square feet of the Citizens Warehouse, the structure at 100 Center St. just off Santa Fe that was once a thriving cultural center and home to dozens of artists. The city purchased it a decade ago to rip off the south end to accommodate the expansion of the First Street Bridge. The city promised to restore the wall — but that never happened. Now Metro wants to take another chunk.
Reducing what is left will diminish any hope of restoring the Citizen’s Warehouse to its former glory — unless Metro agrees to fully restore the remaining 20,000 square feet (and maybe add a third story) and the city agrees to make it an affordable artists’ housing project, perhaps with gallery and rehearsal space, operated by and for the artist residents.
LADADSpace and AHA urge Council District 14 to engage the national non-profit, ArtSpace (see artspace.org) to guide them to this goal.
Metro has already tentatively agreed to funding the restoration. Now we have to make sure they follow through and make it a viable, sustainable space. If past experience is any guide, we need persistence and commitment to a highly-visible effort.
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