Open Book 2.0

• Address: 1011 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415
• Website: http://www.openbookmn.org (visit site)
• Telephone: 612-215-2572
• Project Contact: Brian Bergee
• Brief Project Description (100 words): Open Book is a vital, nationally-unique building for literary and book artists. Opened in 2000, Open Book houses three leading arts organizations who together provide work, education, and performance space to more than 1,400 artists annually. A pioneer in the now vibrant river front arts corridor, recognized for its adaptive re-use and community impact, Open Book now seeks to create an even more dynamic, collaborative, and sustainable artist space for the future.

Program / Development Partners

• Public/Civil Sector:
• Name:
• For-profit Private Sector: Development
• Name: CityDeskStudio
• Non-profit Sector: Project Tenant
• Name: Open Book; Loft Literary Center; Milkweed Editions; Minnesota Center for Book Arts
• Creative Industries Served: Visual arts

Included Space Types / Uses

• Live/Work Spaces: n/a
• Total Units(#): 0
• Units for Broader Community(#):n/a
• Total Affordable Units(#): n/a
• Units for Resident Organization(#): n/a
• Workspace Studios: Rental
• Total Units(#): 34
• Total Affordable Units(#): 27
• Units for Resident Organization(#): 4
• Work Space/Studios: Area (SF):n/a
• Live-Only Spaces: n/a
• Total Units(#): 0
• Units for Broader Community(#):n/a
• Total Affordable Units(#): n/a
• Units for Resident Organization(#): n/a
• Live Only: Area (SF): n/a
• Gallery: Available to Public
• Performance/Rehearsal Space: Available to Public
• Dance Studio Area (SF): n/a
• Recording Studio: Curated Access
• Office Space: For Resident Organizations Only
• Multi-Purpose Space (e.g. for Community Use): Available to Public
• Additional Artist Amenities: Natural light
• Describe Sustainable Strategies Employed (250 words): recycling of cardboard and paper products; bottles & cans; office equipment & electronics
• Description of Preservation Work (50 words): Renovating three contiguous 100-year-old brick buildings, architects "unwrapped" the building to reveal its narrative architecture and preserved or reused traces of earlier occupations including patches of original wallpaper, fragments of derelict stairs, and vintage windows and doors. Awarded 2002 AIA Minnesota Honor Award, Society of the American Institute of Architects.
• Description of Incubation Facilities, Resources, Programming (50 words): Open Book, through its founding tenants, provides professional development for teaching artists, continuing education for certified teachers, and career development grants, workshops, classes, and consultation for literary and book artists.

Links / Images / Attachments

• Links:
• Building Plans:
  • OpenBookFloorPlans.pdf
• Building Elevations:
  • Open Book Elevations.pdf
• Photographs (up to 10):
  • OpenBookPhotos.pdf
  • 2008MCBAstats.pdf
• Marketing Brochures/Press Clips/Advertisements:
  • New York Times.pdf

• Community Programming: Professional Development & Training Services
  Technique or studio training/ workshops
  Community Service/Engagement Programs
  Other
  Shared: Facilities and Equipment
  Shared: Administrative Infrastructure
  Other Shared Resources
  
• Professional Development & Training Services: training for teaching artists, training for K-12 educators, and career development/ management education
• Population served+ writers (many genres & forms) and book artists (including paper making, fine printing, binding, design, typography)
  
• Total Served Per Year: -
• Technique or Studio Training/Workshops: studio space, classes, workshops
• Population served+: literary & book artists; visual artists; wider community
• Total Served Per Year: -
• Other Programs: children & youth classes & workshops
• Population served+: school groups and individual young learners ages 6-18
• Shared Community Resources - Facilities and Equipment: performance hall; free common areas with wifi; writers' studios; book artist studios; book group/writing group room; classrooms
• Shared Community Resources - Administrative Infrastructure: resource library
• Shared Community Resources - Other: gift shop; coffee shop; roof top deck

• Building Description: Renovation
  
• Year Renovated: 1988-2000
• Brief building description: Open Book is comprised of three, three-story buildings. These structures have been renovated and converted into one space with each of the founding tenants occupying one level of the facility. Minnesota Center for Book Arts, with its retail store and gallery, is on the ground floor with its presses in the basement. The Loft Literary Center along with most of its classroom space is on the second floor along with the Open Space performance space. Milkweed Editions is on the third floor along with a commercial tenant and other meeting and classroom space. There is considerable “common” space throughout the building including the coffee gallery/foyer area, the “literary commons” on the second floor and other nooks and crannies for individuals and small groups (including a great roof-top patio area overlooking downtown Minneapolis).
• Year Originally Built: 1900
• Building Type: Commercial
• Artist/Space Ownership/Use Structure: Rental
• Other: Fees for use of equipment/rooms and/or participation in workshops/classes
• Building Area (square feet): 55000
• Types of Spaces: Gallery
• Funding for Green Development:
• Funding for Green Development ($ value)
• Funding for Preservation:
• Funding for Preservation ($ value):
• If other, please specify:
• Building Rules/Regulations+:
• Conflicts among Tenants:
• Certification Process (describe):
• Population served+: school groups and individual young learners ages 6-18
• Plans/Sections:
  
  
• Illustrations/Images of Building:
  
  
  
• Related Links:
  
  
  

• Type of Developer: Arts Organizations
• Other: n/a
• Developer: Chuck Leer, North First Ventures
• Contractor: Olson General Contractors
• Project Manager: Nancy Gaschott
• Architect: current: CityDeskStudio; 1998-2000: Meyer, Scherer, & Rockcastle, LLC
• Artist Organization: Loft Literary Center, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Milkweed Editions, representing book and literary artists
• Other Experts Consulted (property management, legal, etc): Griffin Companies (property management); Nametag International (building name); Hillcrest Development (building seller)
• Legal Representatives: Gray Plant Moody, LLC, 500 IDS Center, 80 S. 8th St., Minneapolis, MN 55402; Oppenheimer Wolff and Donnelly, LLC, Plaza VII, Suite 3300, 45 South 7th St., Minneapolis, MN 55402.
• Building Code Issues:
• Other Legal Issues:
• Project Lead: Nancy Gaschott, Project Manager
• Property Manager: CBC Griffin Companies, Suite 500, 615 First Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413, (612) 338-2828 Real Estate Service Used—negotiations with tenants are conducted by a committee of the Open Book board, with all final decisions resting with full Board of Directors of Open Book.

• Total Development Cost ($): 7,358,330
• Acquisition Cost ($): 560,000
• Construction Cost Per Square Foot ($): 70.05
• Cost Per Unit ($): 47,257
• Total Equity ($): 7,254,340
• Portion from Private Investment Sources ($): 7,358,330
• Funding Sources/Uses: Foundations
• Foundation Support ($): 65.00
• Restrictions Imposed: n/a
• CDBG Support: n/a
• Restrictions Imposed: n/a
• HOME Support: 0
• Restrictions Imposed: n/a
• Restrictions Imposed: n/a
• Local Government Support: 0
• Restrictions Imposed: n/a
• State Government Support: 0
• Restrictions Imposed: n/a
• Federal Government Support: n/a
• Restrictions Imposed: n/a
• Other Support: Tax deductible gifts from individual donors to Open Book made up the balance of the project costs. As with foundation grants, the funds were given to a 501(c)3 organization to further its mission. The formal name of the 501(c)3 is the Minnesota Book and Literary Arts Building, Inc. The building was later named Open Book.
• Restrictions Imposed: n/a
• Equity/Tax Credits: n/a
• Other Tax Credits: n/a
• Debt: n/a
• Bank Debt ($): 0.00