North Station Arts and Entertainment District (often called just North Station ) is the official art and entertainment district of Baltimore, Maryland. The environment is characterized by a combination of artistic commercial endeavors, such as theaters and museums, as well as former abandoned warehouses that have been converted into loft lifestyles. It's roughly a triangle, bordered on the north by 20th Street, to the east by Greenmount Avenue, and to the south and west by the Amtrak's Northeast Corridor track, although the environmental boundaries include an extensive one-block extension on the tracks.
Video Station North Arts and Entertainment District
History
The North Station is made up of parts of three Baltimore neighborhoods: Charles North, Greenmount West, and Barclay. In the last few decades, the area represents a relatively poor area among the richer neighborhoods of Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, and Charles Village. However, in addition to its proximity to the environment, a number of factors make the area redevelopable and gentrification. Most of the poorest parts of the neighborhood feature beautiful, three-story, early twentieth-century houses as the main housing stock; The Maryland Institute of the Arts Institute is within walking distance; and Penn Station is located at the southern edge of the neighborhood, providing walking access to Amtrak, Light Rail, and MARC commuter train services (the latter is of great interest to those who leave for Washington, D.C.). The real estate bubble of the 2000s caused Baltimore's housing prices skyrocketed, and prompted home buyers to look for cheaper areas on the rise to the environment.
The determination of the Baltimore city government area in 2002 as an arts area has enhanced the transformation of the environment. The earliest and most visible signs of change are the official conversion of several industrial buildings and warehouses into mixed housing. The Copycat building is probably the best known, but the other two buildings - Oliver Street Studios Building (which also houses Area 405 and the Library of the North Station) and the Cork Plant - are also occupied. These buildings have been used recently as artist studios and benefited from regions that won the State of Arts and Entertainment State District of Maryland the first under mayor Martin O'Malley. Such an arrangement paves the way for these buildings to be re-broadcasted for residential use, due to the collaboration between several building owners in The District.
Commercial, residential, and artistic spots of the environment are beginning to develop. The commercial district on Charles Street is anchored by Charles Theater, a popular home art multiplex that also serves as the premier venue for the annual Maryland Film Festival every May, as well as Scapescape (music and art festivals) every Labor Day weekend, North Arts Cafe Gallery Station, North Station Arts Underground, Metro Gallery, Tapas Teatro, Club Charles, The Yellow Sign Theater, The Strand Theater, Carrot Sole Theater and Sofi's Crepes; one block away is the City Art Space of Charm that serves as a Music Venue, and Art Gallery. In recent years, the North Avenue corridor has been the center of activity with Joe Squared Restaurant, The Wind Up Space (art and bar), Ale House Liam Flynn, and The Chicken Box, a North Arts Station sponsored by the multi-function art space opened in mid-2013. The Chicken Box is also home to Baltimore's Annex Theater.
In 2005, the neighborhood saw a definite boom, but the area of ​​blight remained, especially on the north and east sides. In 2010, the north and east end of Station North, especially near Greenmount Avenue, is still affected by empty housing, drug dealers, and prostitution. This area is in stark contrast to the neighborhood just a few blocks to the west, where in 2007 Station North Townhomes was completed. The proximity of this $ 300,000 luxury townhouse to the remaining areas of urban destruction illustrates the potential and challenges facing the environment.
Maps Station North Arts and Entertainment District
Maryland Arts and Entertainment District designation
In Maryland, the Department of Business and Economic Development of the State establishes a certain "environment and entertainment district", which provides three specific tax breaks. Artists who live and work in districts who are offered property tax credits on eligible renovations, may apply for income tax credit when they make money on their art, and are granted exclusions from entertainment and tax revenues imposed by the city. Artists living or working at Station North may be eligible for certain tax breaks by sending the 502AE Form (A Reduction For Revenue Originating in an Art and Entertainment District) to their Maryland Tax Returns. The huge tax benefits associated with the use of the building also exist, with frozen assessments and building rehabilitation credits to encourage growth.
Critique of gentrification
It has been argued that the Art District designation provides little benefit to artists working tirelessly to rebuild the area and change the ancient industrial zoning laws that are heavy industries, for mixed use - for studios, retail and living spaces. Many of the benefits promised by residents and building owners when the District was formed have never materialized and the line of direct communication with the Mayor's office, which oversees the transformation, is just a faded memory.
Although cities and states have developed early plans to provide affordable housing and work spaces for artists and locals, many argue that the area provides little real benefits for working artists. It has fostered sentiment that the city has exploited the artist's stamp at Station North, while rarely working with them in any meaningful way.
In addition, when the environment undergoes gentrification, there is concern that, like SoHo in Manhattan before, local artists and entertainers will be forced out of the environment if the right balance does not occur between rebuilding and the needs of artists and low-income residents..
Transportation
The name North Station comes from its placement north of Penn Station, which houses the Amtrak and MARC trains. Rail Light Baltimore has two stations adjacent to the district; Penn Station and North Avenue. The bus lanes of MTA Maryland 3, 8, 11, 13, 27, 36, 61, and 64 also serve the area.
Future plans
The 2006 Plan of Action report, prepared by Randall Gross/Development Economics, the Baltimore Neighborhood Collaborative, and the North Arts Station & amp; Entertainment, Inc., focuses on four key strategies: To strengthen positive image and identity, to build commercial corridors, to provide housing options to attract new residents while preventing the migration of existing population, and to foster economic development.
In early 2008, Baltimore's development arm, Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), released a preview of their master plan for the area. In the near future, the master plan includes converting the top three floors of Penn Station into a botique hotel, with long-term goals including the construction of high-rise residential buildings.
On October 30, 2008, Mayor Sheila Dixon launched the Charles North Vision Plan, a multi-phase development initiative. The plan identifies four areas for focusing revitalization: Charles Gateway/Penn Station, the corner of Charles Street and North Avenue, the creation of "Asia Town" on 20th Street and Charles Street, and "Creative/Design Zone". The ultimate goal is to transform the arts and entertainment districts north of Pennsylvania Station to a $ 1 billion "crossroads of culture" for Baltimore. The plan calls for more than $ 100 million in subsidies to assist in regional development.
The deal with Hospitality Partners of Bethesda to build a hotel in Penn Station was achieved in 2009, with the completion of a $ 9 million project scheduled for late 2010.
In early 2010, construction began at City Arts, housing construction worth $ 15 million for artists. Consisting of 69 apartments for rent and eight town houses for sale, City Arts will be the first new residential project in the 100-acre art district (0.40 km 2 ) since the $ 1 billion vision "Plan" was unveiled for the region in 2008. The building will consist of four floors of apartments, a versatile first floor space provided for artistic use by residents, and thirty five off-street parking spaces. The key to the project plan is a financing regulation that will ensure the space remains affordable by the artist even when the environment changes. The project is featured on CNN as an example of how the federal Recovery Act money has restarted stalled development during the economic downturn.
References
External links
- North Station of Arts and Entertainment District
- The contemporary Garage Townhome is located within walking distance to Penn Station
- The Empty Factory Inside North District Art Station Will Go Back to Work
- Area 405
- Interactive map of Baltimore
- Class 34
- One vision of Parkway Theater, an important asset of SNAED
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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