Markeshia Ricks Photo
NXTHVN Founders prepare to lead Wednesday’s tour.
Deborah Berke Partners
Rendering of NXTHVN, part of which is expected to open in early 2019.
A future artists’ haven in Dixwell has a new name and a new pricetag for completion — between $8 million and $10 million.
Markeshia Ricks Photo
169 Henry St. as it stands today.
City officials and reporters Wednesday got a firsthand look at what is now being called NXTHVN (translation: Next Haven) at 169 Henry St.
Formerly known as the “PostMaster Project,” the future home for emerging and premiere artists is the brainchild of two Yale School of Art grads, Titus Kaphar and Jonathan Brand.
Kaphar narrated the tour Wednesday, explaining a vision for the development that will include a co-working space that doubles as an art gallery, a black box theatre space, artists studios, artists residences, and a cafe run by students from the nearby ConnCAT training center.
The cost of that vision — initially projected at around $5.8 million — has gone up significantly in the last month, according to project construction manager Jeff Leibowitz, thanks in part to a rise in the cost of materials such as steel and aluminum in the face of new tariffs.
Jason Price, who serves as a co-founder and project COO, said that fundraising is an ongoing pursuit of the project. His team continues to work with the state and the city to find other grants while simultaneously seeking out private investment.
The first phase of the project, the opening of the artists’ studios, is on track to open in January, according to Kaphar.
“As an artist, I can tell you that finding studio space is incredibly challenging for professional artists,” Kaphar said. “Some of the studio spaces that I’ve looked at the ceilings leak, the heat doesn’t work and that’s a problem. This is going to be a state of the art studio space. Each of the studio spaces will have wonderful skylights, will be temperature controlled — thank God. I’m really excited about what’s going to take place in this space here.”
Architect Deborah Berke explains how the existing structure lends itself to co-working space.
The raw bones of the future co-working space.
Deborah Berke, who serves as the Yale School of Architecture’s dean and whose firm designed NXTHVN, said that the project marries a mix of uses in what will be new construction and the adaptive reuse of an older structure. “That should be the goal wherever we do this and New Haven is the right place to be doing it,” she said.
Mayor Toni Harp said that in a city as old as New Haven, recycling and reclaiming space is imperative.
“This innovative project is meant to encourage additional innovation and the development of individual, creative talent among residents,” Harp said. “New Haven’s collective talent and creative energy is, by definition, and by extension, the accumulation of the creativity built into each of us.”
Kaphar talks about the future performing arts space …
Kaphar stressed that NXTHVN is not gentrifying Dixwell.
“One thing I do want to say is that this is already a great neighborhood,” he said. “I think there are folks that don’t understand what we’re going for with this project. Gentrification is exactly what we do not want to do in this neighborhood.”
… that will one day be where this hole is now.
He noted NXTHVN is not building an arts community from scratch. The neighborhood already has a long and rich history of artistic expression, particularly when it comes to music. The project seeks to build on that foundation and to make sure that the community has a stake in what comes out of the project.
Kaphar shows off the future studio space …
Neighbors will have access to the cafe. They’ll be able to take out memberships in the co-working space. Hillhouse High students will have the opportunity to participate in the mentorship program.
“I like my neighbors,” said Kaphar, who lives within walking distance of the development. “And so far they like me. This is about bringing opportunities not pushing people out or raising rents. It’s about providing amazing things for people who deserve amazing things.”
… and the future residential space.
In addition to the mentorship, the project will offer paid fellowships with the hopes of attracting and keeping some of the world’s best artists right here in New Haven. Kaphar said the future fellowship program has already more than 100 applications from artists around the world interested in the six fellowships that will be offered. Fellows will serve as mentors to the local students in the mentorship program.
PostMasters turned NXTHVN will be the result of a private-public partnership.
“New Haven is a place I adopted and this place has become my home,” he said. “I love this place. I’m not going anywhere for some time. But I didn’t fall in love with this place until I got out of Yale. I had to leave that institution to really understand. I recognize that there are challenges here but I also recognized there were so many opportunities.”
Kaphar and Brand, center, with the project’s other co-founders Jason Price and Carrie Mackin.
Click the Facebook Live video below to watch a post-tour press conference.
Cue Three-Fifths...