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November 23rd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Very positive piece and an important one in terms of developing a stronger local and regional economy. As someone who researches/studies older industrial cities a lot there are quite significant things going on here that have the potential for exciting employment generation.
As a region we need to figure out how to create entertainment venues and places where young people can showcase their wide variety of ‘art’ from sound recording, to fashion, to videography, to live music, and poetry. The new sound recording space at Western Avenue Studios is a wonderful case in point as is the growth of a fashion design program for young people at the Revolving Museum, also located in Western Avenue Studios space. 119 Gallery is another important space for all of this creativity to be showcased. In addition, there are numerous fiction and non-fiction writers living in Lowell and the wider region, some attached to the University or MCC, but the majority not.
But as always I do have a point of concern: it is great that part of the Hamilton Canal project leads to the construction of more artisits’ living spaces, but what must not happen in the process is the entire neighborhood gets gentrified to the point that young people fresh out of school and other artists interested in moving here are priced out of space and thus are forced to abandon the region.
November 23rd, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I like that the Appleton Mill project is traditional affordable rental space. In downtown, loft spaces were created “affordable” but as bought condos, and were then sold out as expensive condos eventually. (I don’t blame the original artists for selling, honestly, but certainly, no artist on an artists’ salary could afford to buy in after the initial development was allowed to go to market-rate). I think that you’ll see the Appleton lofts stay affordable, and as rental units, keep a fresh group always coming in to town.
The big deal is the “secondary” “creative” economy. To be honest, fine arts are only a tip of the creative economy and not a very lucrative one. They are really more about quality of life for the city’s residents (surrounding ourselves with art, music, and theatre) and not about bringing jobs. My sort of work is the sort that creates jobs. Marketing and advertising firms, web design, architects, the so-called high skills creative, THAT is what we need more of. Not that I am dying for more competition for my business!
But if we could be a mini hub for those sorts of jobs I think that would be a great sell. Boston firms are expensive and so I think we could be competitive, while still building the creative environment which inspires the creative commercial firms and entices that educated creative workforce to come and live and work here.
Hell, it worked for me! I’m here and not going anywhere, and I even have expanded my business and hope to build it more as the economy gets better. These are high paying jobs that the graduates of UML and Middlesex will want to stick around to apply for!