IndieSpace Joins Robert Carroll & Julia Salazar to Introduce New York City Arts Space Act

IndieSpace joined Assembly Member Robert Carroll and State Senator Julia Salazar at the home of the non-profit theatre Bushwick Starr in Bushwick, Brooklyn on Friday to announce the introduction of their bill the "New York City Arts Space Act".

This novel legislation will be a key element in New York maintaining its premier position in the arts and culture world. The New York City Arts Space Act seeks to build on the Affordable Housing from Commercial Conversions ("AHCC") Program included in the State's Fiscal 24-25 budget by adding an affordable arts space component.

The bill provides an enhanced property tax exemption in buildings being converted from commercial to residential space under the AHCC Program in exchange for including affordable arts space in the building. The legislation is designed so that any arts space would be part of the allowance in the AHCC for non-residential space so it would complement and not be in competition with affordable housing.

"Post-pandemic we have seen many arts and culture spaces close, and for those that remain, the cost of rehearsal and performance space has skyrocketed, making it unaffordable for smaller arts organizations to produce their work," said Randi Berry, Executive Director of IndieSpace. "Our hope is that the New York City Arts Space Act will help to make more arts spaces accessible to indie theater makers, at a lower cost, allowing our community to thrive."

"We hope and expect the real estate community will utilize the benefits to facilitate spaces for artists, cultural workers, and creative professionals to practice, exhibit or perform, and deliver spaces that will result in many vibrant and successful projects throughout the City," said Paul Leibowitz, Co-Founder and Board Co-Chair of IndieSpace.

"When the Bushwick Starr lost our space in 2020 we were immediately exposed to daunting market rate rent levels that were around three times the amount we'd been paying in the loft we'd been renting since 2001," said Noel Allain, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Bushwick Starr.

"We were a small, but growing, arts non-profit and the prospect of finding a new home in our neighborhood at an affordable rate seemed very bleak. After 6 months of looking, we were extremely fortunate to have the support from the city, State, and private sector to have the opportunity to finance the purchase of our current home. This organization would never have existed without the affordable rent levels we were paying in 2006. Nonprofits need stable, low rent, long term leases to plan, grow, and continue to serve their communities. The market is not built to serve the non-profit sector so there must be guardrails put in place to protect and maintain their presence in the city. This bill represents an important effort to create opportunities for arts non-profits to find affordable homes and flourish in the communities they serve,"

"At Dance/NYC, we know how imperative affordable performance and rehearsal space is to the creation of dance," said Candace Thompson-Zachery, Co-Executive Director Dance/NYC. "Dance workers and entities are struggling, with our State of NYC Dance 2023 Report finding that 40% of dance organizations would classify their financial health as weak or very weak. Both dance entities and individual dance workers named space as one of their top five needs, with it being the second largest need. By removing financial barriers, we hope that the New York City Space Act will advance dance artistry and contribute to the field's and New York City's overall diversity, resilience, and health,"

"Assembly Member Carroll has been a longtime champion of Arts Workers," said Aimee Todoroff, Managing Director of League of Independent Theater. "We know that art and culture small businesses are a powerful economic anchor for New York. With this innovative approach to solving the crisis of affordable space, Assembly Member Carroll once again shows his commitment to Arts Workers and to the economic well-being of all New Yorkers."

"The New York City Arts Space Act recognizes that community arts organizations, affordable housing and development are all interconnected in our city, said Senator Julia Salazar. "Through this bill, we can ensure that the fine arts are accessible to artists and patrons in all parts of New York and give non-profit arts organizations the stability to thrive. I look forward to working with Assembly Member Carroll and this vibrant coalition to get the New York City Arts Space Act passed this session."

"We must be innovative in responding to the changes brought on by the pandemic. This legislation will build on the opportunity created by the Affordable Housing from Commercial Conversions Program enacted as part of this year's State budget," said Assembly Member Robert Carroll. "As someone with experience in independent theatre prior to joining the Assembly, I know firsthand that the affordability of rehearsal, studio, and performance space is one of the major challenges facing arts organizations. By establishing a policy framework for the creation of affordable arts space, this legislation will be a boost to New York's artistic vibrancy and help promote the flourishing of a wide range of arts and cultural organizations. I want to thank Senator Salazar for partnering with me on this bill and the organizations gathered here today for their support of and all their work to help make New York City the amazing place it is. Special thanks to IndieSpace for their close collaboration on the development of this legislation."

"Space is a critical and chronic need for the nonprofit arts and culture sector," said Lucy Sexton, Executive Director New Yorkers for Culture and Arts. "Nonprofits are consistently displaced as the neighborhoods they helped to thrive become unaffordable. This bill would provide a sustainable path to keep arts and culture in our communities and in our city. The tax break incentivizing reduced rent and long-term leases for nonprofit arts and culture groups is an investment that will pay off many times over. Not only will it retain community cohesion and heritage, it will stabilize the foundation of our creative economy---a sector that generates 13% of the city's economic activity!"

IndieSpace was established in 2016 to disrupt the ongoing displacement of small theaters and to address systemic inequities in NYC real estate. In 2022, it merged with Indie Theater Fund, an organization focused on a new model for equitable funding for the indie theater community. By contributing a nickel per ticket from their shows to a pot of money for funding, the indie theater community could create a method of self-sustainability and could rethink philanthropy and the process of grant making. Through radically transparent and equitable grants, community resources and advocacy, the Fund supported hundreds of indie theater companies and thousands of individual artists.

Since its founding, IndieSpace has: consulted with 90+ companies and venues making real estate decisions, including The Tank, FRIGID New York, The Chain, The Wild Project, Wooster Group, and Classical Theater of Harlem; helped 18 organizations sign new leases; saved seven theaters from being closed or repurposed; created four real estate operation partnerships; walked two venues through the purchase of their permanent homes. During Covid, IndieSpace supported over 50 venues navigating their leases by helping them stay open, and also provided over $1.7M in relief grants to the indie theater community. In 2023 IndieSpace opened the West Village Rehearsal Co-Op with HERE Arts Center, New Ohio and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. This 99-year lease for $1 per year will serve over 1,500 artists per year. For service to the community, IndieSpace received the Ellen Stewart Award and a citation from the City Council of New York. www.indiespace.org

Pictured, from left to right: Candace Thompson-Zachery, Co-Executive Director of Dance/NYC; Randi Berry and Paul Leibowitz from IndieSpace; Assembly Member Robert Carroll; Senator Julia Salazar; Noel Allain, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Bushwick Starr; Sheila Lewandowski, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Chocolate Factory Theater