MidTown Arts Center, Eugene, OR

In 2005, Carole Zoom purchased a building in Eugene with the goal of providing a shared space for non-profit arts organizations. By offering them highly reduced rent for three years, the organizations were able to raise sufficient funds to purchase the building from her, and it is now the Eugene MidTown Arts Center (above), home of the Eugene Ballet and 7 other arts organizations.

Zoom is interested in creating a similar space in Portland. It would follow a similar model: She would purchase the building, non-profit arts organizations could move in for very low rent, and over time the building would be purchased from her. This is an excellent opportunity to create a much-needed hub for non-profit arts in Portland, but Zoom needs to assess interest in the project before she can go forward.

To that end, she will be hosting an informal meeting to discuss the project at 6pm on Wednesday, April 16. For more information about the project and the location of the meeting, please contact Carole Zoom at carolezoom@mac.com.

I expect the interest will be pretty overwhelming... and good for her to take this kind of initiative.

I hope PORT folks will join us Wednesday 4/16 for the discussion of who and how we work together to make a nonprofit oriented building a reality in Portland. Wanted to correct two things:

1. although I hope to charge reduced rate rent to organizations participating, the extent to which it will be "very low" depends on my buying power in the difficult real estate market known as Paradise, I mean Portland.

2. the MidTown Arts Center purchase will not take place until summer at which time I will be purchasing a building in Portland.

Please contact me at info above to attend the meeting and share ideas and concerns about this concept.

carole