The City of Jamestown has been awarded a $195,000 New York State Empire State Development (ESD) grant for the Edgewater Arthouse, a collaboration between the City and The Resource Center.
The proposed Edgewater Art House project is a joint partnership with the second largest employer in the city, The Resource Center. The Edgewater Art House will be situated on the waterfront of the Chadakoin River on Eighth Street, across from the nearly completed Riverwalk Community Skatepark, McCrea Point Park, and adjacent to the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk Trailhead and the new Prendergast Landing redevelopment project. The project will repurpose a storage garage currently located at the Edgewater Day Habilitation Site. The Arthouse will provide access to an indoor/outdoor art studio for people with disabilities & the community at-large. These classes will be held overlooking the waterfront. The Art House will weave art & artists into the fabric of the downtown & waterfront revitalization efforts providing community art classes including painting, drawing, mixed media, ceramics and a gallery space to showcase the art.
Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, in a statement said, “This project will redevelop a premier waterfront location which will provide an inclusive artist hub for individuals with disabilities and the community at large. We thank The Resource Center and our City Staff for all of the hard work that went into the grant application.
This location will attract small business, entrepreneurs and visitors to the area which will continue to support the progress of economic development, downtown revitalization and improvements in the quality-of-life for the residents of the City of Jamestown.”
Denise Jones, President and CEO of The Resource Center, said in a statement, “We are thrilled to have been awarded this grant. The Edgewater Art House will be the new home of our award-winning art program and will make it possible for more people with disabilities to develop their artistic talents. In addition to providing a serene location that is sure to inspire artists, this beautiful facility will become another jewel in the City of Jamestown’s waterfront revitalization initiative. We look forward to breaking ground this spring.
“We are extremely grateful to Empire State Development for recognizing the significance of this project and its impact on our community. And we are indebted to Mayor Sundquist and his team for supporting this project and leading the effort to obtain this grant.”
