1. F i r e station 2 - an open source art and comm u n i t y c e n t e r

2. p ro p o s a l
The soon to be decommissioned fire station is
the perfect location for an arts centered multi-
purpose downtown community center and to
bring some life, culture and commerce to the
failing western downtown trainyard area.
Why ?
As the County Seat, Shakopee should be a
showcase for Scott County’s growing arts and
culture.
To fill the lack of a downtown community gather-
ing point like a coffee shop.
To catalyze an existing arts & DIY (Do it Yourself)
culture that exists in this part of Shakopee.
To educate and engage the public in arts and
crafts.
To facilitate downtown community events.
To add a reason for tourists to come downtown.
To increase the quality of life for the downtown
community through beautification.

3. hoW to redeFine the spaces o F the Fire station
With minimal investment and development, we can maintain the novel character of the fire station and create a flexible use facility
Briefing Room North Bays Rear Bays
This section of the fire department with its A coffee shop managed by the High School This could be a shared studio space for
separate entrance is perfectly suited to be DECA or Junior Achievement clubs could Shakopee / Scott County artists. The large
a rentable / reservable space for: be manned by volunteers from local non- doors and high ceilings would be very at-
profits to raise funds. Adding glass garage tractive to large scale painters and sculp-
- Scout Troops doors would let in the light during winter tors. Rolling up the inside door could give
- Community Education months and could be opened during the the coffee shop patrons one to one access
- Start-up companies warm summer months for a very unique cof- with the artist and creative space.
- Independent online study groups fee house environment. This space would
- Special interest groups act as a social center for the downtown To have access to the space, artists could
- Family Reunions community including its many seniors. pay a membership fee and be encouraged
- Card Clubs to hold classes or create art to enhance
- Knitting Circles The walls of this coffee shop would display the aesthetics of downtown Shakopee such
the painting, art and sculpture produced as public sculpture, murals, life enhancing
in Shakopee and Scott County. Local musi- workshops for the schools or special needs
cians, writers, and artists could also per- groups such as the womens’ prison.
form in the space
Works could be sold, with the center taking
a commission.

4. Funding
There are many grants available for cultural and economic development.
A couple of examples:
n e a’ s our toWn grant for up to $250,000 for communities that artp l ac e is a collaboration of nine of the nation’s top foundations,
have created public-private partnerships to strengthen the arts while eight federal agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts,
shaping the social, physical, and economic characters of their neigh- and six of the nation’s largest banks. ArtPlace supports creative place-
borhoods, towns, cities, and regions. NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman making with grants and loans, research and advocacy.
made the announcement during an online press conference.
Participating foundations include Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Ford
Chairman Landesman said, “Communities across our country are invest- Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, The John S. and James L.
ing in the arts and smart design to enhance Americans’ quality of life and Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The McKnight Foundation,
to promote the distinctive identities of our communities. Our Town creates The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Ras-
partnerships among local governments and arts and design organiza- muson Foundation, The Robina Foundation and an anonymous donor. In
tions to strengthen the creative sector and help revitalize the overall addition to the NEA, federal partners are the departments of Housing
community.” and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Edu-
cation and Transportation, along with leadership from the White House
NEA’s Director of Design Jason Schupbach noted, “Creative placemak- Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Policy Council.
ing is a strategy for making places vibrant. Arts and design are essential
parts of the complex work of building a livable, sustainable community.” Funds committed to ArtPlace are overseen by the Nonprofit Finance
Fund, a nonprofit lender and financial consulting organization that
Our Town grants range from $25,000 to $250,000 and represent a serves as investment and grant manager for the collaboration.
range of rural, suburban, and urban communities with populations rang-
ing from just over 2,000 people to more than 8.2 million people. More ArtPlace will also be supported by a $12 million loan fund capitalized
than half of the Our Town grants were awarded to communities with a by six major financial institutions and managed by the Nonprofit Finance
population of less than 200,000, and seven to communities of fewer than Fund. Participating institutions are Bank of America, Citi, Deutsche Bank,
25,000 people. Grants were awarded for planning, design, and arts Chase, MetLife and Morgan Stanley.
engagement projects that strengthen arts organizations while increasing
the livability of communities across America. ArtPlace believes that art, culture and creativity expressed powerfully
through place can create vibrant communities, thus increasing the desire
By requiring a partnership between local government and an arts or de- and the economic opportunity for people to thrive in place. It is all about
sign organization, Our Town encourages creative, cross sector solutions the local.
to the challenges facing towns, cities, and the arts community.
ArtPlace periodically awards grants to organizations doing ground-
h t t p :// WWW.nea.gov/ne Ws/ne Ws11 /o u r -toWn - a n- breaking work in creative placemaking.
n o u ncement.html
h t t p : / /W W W. a rt p l ac e a m e r i c a . o rg

5. W h y t h i s Will Work
Cities such as Stillwater and Northfield have become des-
THE ART SCENE IN THE AREA IS GROWING tinations due a great part to the focus on regional art and
culture.
Artists around Shakopee and Scott County are already
organizing to make art more public. it’ s Working noW
The Scott County Art Crawl is in its 3rd year. The crawl Many small to mid-sized cities benefit from a community
is heavily centered on downtown Shakopee and brings arts presence in their downtowns.
over 60 artists and the public together.
Minnetonka Center for the Arts:
Savage Arts Council has a public studio space in down- www.minnetonkaarts.org
town Savage with close ties to the Savage Depot Coffee
Shop. Egan Art House:
http://www.cityofeagan.com/live/article.
The Jordan Art Festival is branching out to create a more aspx?id=41032.
lasting arts presence through a relationship with Minne-
sota Harvest Apple Orchard. Lanesboro Art Center: www.lanesboroarts.org
The area around the fire station is already home to many Arts Center of St. Peter www.artscentersp.org
arts/ crafts / DIY businesses and museums.
( s e e FolloWing page)
There are plenty more.
it h a s Wo r k e d Be Fo r e this is more than J ust an art center
History holds that artists begin economic change. All of these art centers are stand-alone entities. By com-
bining a community meeting place and an event space
The Minneapolis warehouse district went from near aban- with an art center, we generate more opportunities for
donment to a thriving commercial neighborhood, begin- the public to experience and engage with art. We also
ning with artists who flocked to the cheep, character- generate more opportunities for our artists to engage
filled industrial empty spaces. and be inspired by the community.

6. Western doWntoWn shakopee rel ated Businesses and opportunities
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2
d
3
a
1
B 5
7
c
6
9
4
Museum / Arts / Crafts / DIY Vacant Real Estate of Interest Open Outdoor Spaces
Public & Private
1 Shakopee Trading Post A Lumberyard - Privately Owned
2 Total Rental B Former Motorsports - Privately Owned - Greenway / Park
3 Downhome Craft Boutique C Fire Station - City Owened - Event Spaces
4 Kosse Studio D Gas Station - Privately Owned (flea markets)
5 Eagle Creek Quilt Shop (art fair)
6 Historical Society - Murals
7 Tupelo Design
8 Custom Creations Photography
9 Mt. Holly