The national, state and local economy is rapidly changing from an industrial model to one based on information, knowledge and creativity. The Armory Arts Village is designed to position Jackson to succeed in this new economy. The following quotes provide some insight:
Get Creative - A Recent Special Report in Business Week
“Increasingly, the new core competence is creativity - the right-brain stuff that smart companies are now harnessing to generate top- line growth. The game is changing. It isn’t just about math and science anymore. It’s about creativity, imagination, and above all, innovation.”
Bob Lutz, Vice Chairman of General Motors
“I see us as being in the art business. Art, entertainment and mobile sculpture, which coincidentally also happens to provide transportation.”
Chris Bangles, CEO of BMW
“We don’t make automobiles; we make moving works of art that express the driver’s love of quality.”
Governor Jennifer Granholm interviewed in Issue Magazine
“The power of creativity is driving the new economy. We are moving from:
Muscle to Mind
Braun to Brain
From Carrying to Creating
People and their ideas are fast becoming our most valuable commodity. They are the keys to:
Designing Better Products
Developing Better Services
Planning More Attractive Communities
The Armory Arts Village will serve as a magnet for creative people with creative ideas in a variety of fields who want to put those ideas to work in the private sector.
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The Armory Arts Village is a bold, innovative urban redevelopment effort that will transform a 19-acre site, including Jackson’s historic 19th century prison, the beautiful 25ft. high granite wall surrounding the property and a vacant industrial complex to the South, into a vibrant hub of diverse arts and cultural activity. It is designed to serve as an economic engine for the community and region. The project is spearheaded by The Enterprise Group of Jackson, which has partnered with developer, Excel Realty, in Cleveland, Ohio.
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1) Core Project:
62 permanently affordable rental housing units designed to meet the living and working needs of artists and their families (high ceilings, open floor plans, natural light, etc.) An Artists Housing Market Study conducted by Artspace Projects, Inc. in 2003 indicates that this project will attract artisans from the community and throughout the Midwest. Artists will include skilled professionals like photographers, jewelry makers, clothing designers, dancers, painters, sculptors, cyber artists, musicians and potters. Four of these units will be set aside for artists with special needs.
2) Complementary Development:
Additional development that will result in a mixed use arts-focused neighborhood and visitor destination. Among the uses envisioned for the remainder of the property are:
- Mix of market-rate and high end housing (townhouses, loft apartments and/or condos)
- First floor retail and commercial space including such enterprises as boutiques, galleries, arts specialty shops, groceries, delis, pharmacies, restaurants, coffee houses, and bakeries.
- Office space
- Modest 50,000 sq. ft. conference center
- Town square-like central gathering/outdoor performance space
- Creative Industries Innovation Center
The Enterprise Group is currently in discussions with The Jackson Area Manufacturers Association, the Jackson Area Career Center and the Jackson Intermediate School District to create a center that will serve as a nexus between art, innovation and manufacturing for the Jackson community.
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The project site is located four blocks from the center of downtown Jackson, Michigan in an area designated as a Michigan tax-free Renaissance zone. The site is bounded by Cooper Street on the East, North Street on the North, Ganson Street on the South and the Grand River on the West.
Driving Directions: Take I-94 to Exit 139-Cooper Street Exit. Turn right onto Armory Court. Turn right onto Mechanic and the Armory Arts Project is straight ahead.
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Artists and their families will rent their apartments at rates that will be kept permanently affordable.
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Yes. The project will offer affordable housing units at 30%, 50% and 60% of federally calculated median family incomes per the table below.
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1 person
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$12,200
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$20,300
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$24,360
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2 persons
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$13,900
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$23,200
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$27,840
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3 persons
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$15,650
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$26,100
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$31,320
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4 persons
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$17,400
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$29,000
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$34,800
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- The rare luxury of permanently affordable living and working space tailored to accommodate their needs in a geographic location that allows them to take advantage of nearby cultural markets like Ann Arbor and Lansing
- Life in a virtual incubator of creativity surrounded by artists of every kind which will fuel their own creativity
- Regularly planned interaction with the public in the form of performances, exhibits, gallery crawls, open studio events, etc
- Access to programmatic support that will help them hone their entrepreneurial skills, as well as market and sell their art
- The opportunity to be at the center of Jackson’s rebirth as an arts and cultural destination
The objective is to position Jackson as the live/work location of choice for individual artists, musicians, writers, actors and dancers currently living within a 100-mile radius by providing them with affordable live/work space in a supportive, nurturing environment within an easy commute of other venues for their work (Ann Arbor, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Detroit, Toledo, and Chicago).
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All units will feature high ceilings, open floor plans and an abundance of natural light. Contact Keystone Management Group for more detail.
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The activities of the artists, artisans and designers will:
- Generate a vibrant hub of activity for people of all ages and backgrounds
- Create a wide range of exciting, enriching, educational, cultural, recreational and entertainment options for local residents
- Improve Jackson's quality of life
- Attract new businesses
- Attract visitors from other communities
- Develop a community image as an arts and cultural destination
- Position Jackson as a Cool City!
- Develop and attract the creative intellectual capital - people and their ideas - that Jackson needs in its workers and leaders
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Jackson businesses will have expanded business opportunities as visitors frequent the Armory Arts Village’s activities. They will also benefit from an improved creative talent pool, particularly for technology-related jobs. The concentration of artists, artisans and designers has been proven to be a major draw for other creative people, particularly in high-tech industries.
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Construction began in November 2006. Phase one - Armory Arts Apartments - began occupancy in December 2007.
For more information, contact us or apply today!
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