Council Approves Artspace Project at Old Saddleblanket

City Council voted on Tuesday to approve the sale of the old Saddleblanket building at 601 N. Oregon to Keystone Properties who will then donate it to the El Paso Community Foundation (EPCF) in order to create the Artspace project the City has been seeking for years. 

According to a story in the El Paso Times, Eric Pearson, president of the EPCF, hopes a five-story 50 to 70 unit building will be constructed on the property by Artspace, an organization dedicated to developing low-rent housing with studio and gallery space for artists.

Artspace has already updated its website to include the new El Paso project, and includes the following in its description: "Artspace will create an entrepreneurial arts center in downtown El Paso that builds upon the community’s Hispanic heritage and seeds a distinctly local arts scene."

"Artspace El Paso will be ringed by 15+ roll-up, kiosk-style micro-galleries for artists and creative businesses, forming an outdoor “art walk.” The interior will blend 50 - 70 live/work units for artists and their families with 7,500 square feet of multi-purpose non-profit space."

Eric Pearson said will meet with residents to discuss the project at 6 p.m. March 20 at the El Paso Community Foundation, 333 N. Oregon.

Artspace El Paso web page: http://www.artspace.org/properties/elpaso/
Original El Paso Times article*: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_20117423/council-backs-development-plan

*Please note: El Paso Times articles are available online for a limited time before they are archived.