Ottawa will experience its first “meanwhile space” this month at a vacant storefront at Place de Ville complex downtown. Toronto-based Crown Property Management has partnered with local arts non-profits Arts Ottawa and Cre:8, as well as the Downtown BIA, to transform the storefront at 300 Sparks St. into a temporary gallery, market and studio where artists can create and showcase their work. “Arts and culture play an important role in shaping the identity of a community, bringing people together, and creating experiences that encourage tenants and visitors to engage with the downtown core,” said Michael Stones, vice-president of property management at Crown, in a news release. “By opening this space for the activation, we hope to support local artists while activating Place de Ville and the community.”“Meanwhile spaces” are temporary projects that convert vacant and underutilized buildings into affordable spaces, often for artists, while the property owner looks for a permanent tenant. The Ottawa pilot project, which is open to the public and will run until the end of July, is based on a model that has gained popularity in arts communities across Canada, according to Cassandra Olsthoorn, co-leader of strategy and community mobilization at Arts Ottawa. In addition to supporting creatives and attracting foot traffic, Olsthoorn said the model helps landlords keep properties active rather than have them sit empty until a long-term tenant can be found. “Having an empty space is a liability,” she told OBJ. “If having something animated helps to just maintain the value of your asset, then art activation is a really great way to make sure that your space is activated, to make sure that the street you're on has lots of life.”Arts Ottawa first connected with Crown two years ago, Olsthoorn said. At the time, the property manager was giving tours of areas within the Place de Ville building that needed refreshing, including an old cinema space. “I found them to be so positive and open to suggestions,” Olsthoorn said. “I think they were just very much like, ‘Here’s the space, we’re open and we’re ready.’”Last year, as Arts Ottawa promoted the idea of meanwhile spaces locally, Crown opened up one of its empty offices within the building for an event. Arts Ottawa hosted 70 people, including artists and industry leaders, in the space to discuss arts activation, the meanwhile-spaces model and how to turn underused commercial real estate into cultural hubs. Olsthoorn said that event, and the interest that came out of it, solidified the organization’s relationship with Crown. “They could see the possibility and they were up for stepping into that safe unknown about what would be possible if we bring artists here,” she said. “And they can see the benefits of having the kind of vibrant activations for their tenants and for the people who are on that corner.”A vacant storefront in the Place de Ville complex has been temporarily transformed into a hub for artists. Photo credit: Valerie StamThe vacant storefront was previously occupied by a restaurant. Photo credit: Valerie StamAccording to Olsthoorn, very little had to be done to prepare the space at Place de Ville for artists' use. The site of a former restaurant, the storefront is now “a concrete shell ready for its next tenant,” with no built-in amenities such as running water or washrooms. The minimalist set-up allows for flexibility, which Olsthoorn said is ideal for an artistic space. “It might look a bit different every day,” she said. “Live music one day, a craft market the next day. It’s really a bit of an experiment.”For Arts Ottawa, the project is its first opportunity to test the meanwhile-spaces model in Ottawa. For the rest of the month, Olsthoorn said the organization — and its partners, including Crown — will use the pilot as an opportunity to see what works and what doesn’t. “Is there an economic model, a business model here, for an arts business to thrive? Are there enough people coming through? Are there opportunities for artists to make connections, to sell their work, to exhibit, to create new projects? Is this a fruitful experience?” she said. “If it’s not, then there’s still a lot of learning to be had. What do we need to shift to make sure we can build a strong model afterwards?”The space will be open to the public Wednesdays to Fridays between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. until the end of July. If all goes well, Olsthoorn said the experiment might be extended into August. She added that she’s excited to finally see a meanwhile space come to life in the city after two years of work. “Success is when opportunity meets preparation,” she said. “I think these past couple of years, our work has been about the preparation, so that when the opportunity arrives we’re prepared. And I think this is very much the first moment.”
