Skip to Content

Open Book 2.0

Posted by... hareeves, Thursday, July 16th, 2009

Printer Friendly
Project Overview *
Project Name: 
Open Book 2.0
Street Address: 
1011 Washington Avenue South
City: 
Minneapolis
State: 
MN
Zip Code: 
55415
Web Site: 
http://www.openbookmn.org
Year Established: 
2000
Telephone: 
612-215-2572
First Name of Project Contact: 
Brian
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: 
n/a
Name: 
n/a
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
Performance-based arts
Heritage, arts & crafts
Design
Literary Arts, publishing, printed media
Community Context: *
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+: 
local and national writers and book artists, working in every literary genre and in every aspect of book arts, including printmaking, fine binding, typesetting, paper-making, and design
Total Served Per Year: 
-
Community Engagement/Programming: 
readings; exhibits; spoken-word performance; writers' groups; publication
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 *
Building Description: 
Renovation
Year Renovated: 
1988-2000
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): 
55,000
Types of Spaces: 
Gallery
Performance/Rehearsal Space
Office Space
Common Area
Commercial Space
Cafe
Other
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
Cooperative
Total Units(#): 
34
Units for Broader Community(#): 
30
Total Affordable Units(#): 
27
Units for Resident Organization(#): 
4
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
Gallery: 
Available to Public
Curated Access
Performance/Rehearsal Space: 
Available to Public
Curated Access
Dance Studio: 
n/a
Recording Studio: 
Curated Access
Office Space: 
For Resident Organizations Only
Multi-Purpose Space (e.g. for Community Use): 
Available to Public
Curated Access
Additional Artist Amenities: 
Natural light
Wide width doorways
Wide width hallways
Ventilation
Freight elevator
Wheelchair accessible
Lighting grid
Special electric (220v)
High speed internet access
Parking
Roof/patio access
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.
Zoning / Building Regulations *
Original Zoning: 
Commercial
Other: 
n/a
Zoning Change Required: 
No
Other Zoning/Regulatory Issues: 
A variance was sought and granted to allow a projecting sign with moving type to announce building events.
Development Team *
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)
Finance *
Total Development Cost ($): 
7,358,330
Acquisition Cost ($): 
560,000
Construction Cost Per Square Foot ($): 
70
Cost Per Unit ($): 
47,257
Total Equity ($): 
7,254,340
Portion from Private Investment Sources ($): 
7,358,330
Funding Sources/Uses: 
Foundations
Other Sources/Uses
Foundation Support ($): 
65% of overall capital cost contributed by 28 foundations, local and national, with leading gifts from McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis Foundation, Bush Foundation, and Kresge Foundation. These gifts were made to the 501(c)3 organization (Open Book) formed to purchase and manage the building according to the organization's mission and under the supervision of the board of directors. Each gift may have been restricted as to time or to purpose within this broader context.
Restrictions Imposed: 
n/a
CDBG Support: 
0
Restrictions Imposed: 
n/a
HOME Support: 
0
Restrictions Imposed: 
n/a
Local Government Support: 
0
Restrictions Imposed: 
n/a
State Government Support: 
0
Restrictions Imposed: 
n/a
Federal Government Support: 
0
Restrictions Imposed: 
n/a
Other Support: 
Tax deductible gifts from individual donors to Open Book made up the balance of the project costs. As with foundation grants, the funds were given to a 501(c)3 organization to further its mission. The formal name of the 501(c)3 is the Minnesota Book and Literary Arts Building, Inc. The building was later named Open Book.
Restrictions Imposed: 
n/a
Equity/Tax Credits: 
n/a
Other Tax Credits: 
n/a
Debt: 
n/a
Bank Debt ($): 
000
Links / Images / Attachments
Links: 
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Photographs (up to 10): 
application/pdf icon
OpenBookPhotos.pdf
application/pdf icon
2008MCBAstats.pdf
Marketing Brochures/Press Clips/Advertisements: 
application/pdf icon
New York Times.pdf
Submit: 
Please check this box if your application is complete and you wish to submit it at this time. If you do this, you will no longer be able to return to edit your application.
Slideshow Images
Slideshow Image 1: 
Slideshow Image 2: 
Slideshow Image 3: 
Slideshow Image 4: 
Slideshow Image 5: