David Dewhirst talks about the future maker spaces at 1200 McCalla Ave.
If you’ve been following the news, you may already know this.
1200 McCalla current conditions
Knoxville City Council recently authorized Mayor Madeline Rogero to sell the city-owned property at 1200 McCalla Ave. to Dewhirst Properties for $100,000. As part of the agreement, Dewhirst Properties will renovate the building, creating about 19 studio spaces for makers and creatives. The future space also will include a gallery, lounge, kitchen and restrooms. Dewhirst Properties agreed to use the property as maker space for 10 years.
But wait. We have questions!
Developer David Dewhirst expanded on the information above for this Maker City blog. Here’s what he had to say.
Let’s start with the condition of the building currently. How do things look?
We’ve only had two very short tours of the buildings, but here’s what I know: it’s a lovely shade of battleship gray. The space is just at 6,000 square feet. It’s a lot of concrete blocks. When I walked into it, the electricity was on; that’s kind of big for me. Usually the old buildings I see don’t have electricity. The bathroom seemed to work. It’s pretty spartan. There’s nothing really remarkable about it. The exterior has the potential for some mid-century flare to it (the building was constructed in 1963). But we really don’t know the quality of the infrastructure without more examination.
When do you plan to start and, realistically, when do you expect it to be done? Your agreement with the City gives you three years to complete it.
It won’t take anywhere near that long. I don’t anticipate it being a long or complicated project. A few things are out of our control: when will we actually acquire the building? How long will it take to get building permits? Will the zoning square up with what we perceive?
We’ll have to do a lot of inspections and then get the full plan for the building on paper. But first, to refine our plan, we’ll have to talk to artists and makers.
Tell us how you plan to equip the maker spaces.
I’m not a maker. We have to have a better idea of the needs and wants for space. So before we can refine our plan, we’ll want to talk to artists and makers. Do they have different needs than our original assumptions?
Luckily, there are a lot of windows. Every studio space will be along an exterior wall, so 18 out of 19 already have exterior windows.
The most flexible space is the first-floor gallery and common area. It’s big enough to be a gathering space, hold receptions and allow makers to present what they’re doing. I’ve visited the studio space of an artist friend in Houston, and she gushes about how important their common area is to her.
Are you planning the kitchen to be a commercial kitchen?
I am not, though that may change. Full-blown commercial kitchens are pretty expensive commodities. I don’t think the building has the scale and the size to accommodate it.
Will there be retail space in which makers can sell their wares?
There will be the common gallery space, but I don’t know if it operates on an everyday schedule or if it’s more for planned receptions and exhibits. if you open every day, now you’re talking about staffing issues. I envision it to be more event driven.
How’s the parking?
There is limited parking in the building’s lot, but lots of street parking in the area. I’m not concerned about that.
24/7 access?
I hope that’s the way the building can be managed. We’re going to need to be judicious about getting the right community in there, but we’re adults. I foresee it that way.
Final thoughts?
Look, this is not going to be the crown jewel of the maker universe. I really want it to be successful for those makers who move in, but also in a monetary sense. If we can make it a success, then it can be replicated many times without being subsidy driven. if makers and artists have to always look for a benefactor to fund what they want to do, that is a limiting issue. We want 1200 McCalla to be the kernel for a sustainable model.
If it does work out financially, not only can we replicate it, but others can too. The reason I get excited about something being profitable is because if you can’t make money it’ll never damn happen again. Somewhere in our vocabulary the word profit has become some terrible word. It’s not just about making money. It’s about doing things in the future.