As part of a new $750 million residential, office and retail development in Lakewood, Colorado (built on a site that was once home to an aging shopping mall) a 11,500-square-foot creative center, with exhibition space and a lecture hall, has been established.
What appeals to me about this is the idea that a cultural center was incorporated into the planning of a new mixed-used development and is supported in part by public funds.
Art galleries and concert halls are often developed with a grand vision, but for lots of popular music, there is relatively little thought about building and integrating a venue into the fabric of the community.
9/14/06 - DenverPost.com - A new intellectual and cultural community: "The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmar, the newest addition to the Denver metropolitan area cultural scene, can lay claim to at least one first.
"It seems safe to say that it is the only art institution, at least one with international ambitions, to be located down the street from a Foot Locker, Jamba Juice and Victoria's Secret in a suburban retail development...
"[Said executive director Adam Lerner] 'We need to figure out ways of creating high culture in areas that are not traditionally served well by cultural institutions.'...
"Lerner estimates The Lab will have a budget of about $750,000 in its debut year. About half its funding will come from property taxes and parking-meter fees via the Plaza Metropolitan District, which was created as part of the Belmar development."
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