There is no Artspace project which sits on land with greater historical interest than the Elder Street Artist Lofts, which was home to a municipal cemetery in the 1840s and accumulated thousands of burials. The cemetery was not maintained, however, and in 1924 the Jefferson Davis Hospital, a handsome red brick structure in the Classical Revival style, was built on the site. Over the years, the building housed a variety of tenants, but it stood vacant for two decades before Artspace entered the picture. Completed in 2005, this $6.3 million project houses 34 artist live/work units, many of which offer spectacular views of the downtown skyline, and boasts a green roof. The building’s original terrazzo floors, high ceilings, and large windows were all retained.
Elder Street Artist Lofts
1101 Elder Street Houston, TX, 77007
Architect: W.O. Neuhaus & Associates
Development Partner: Avenue Community Development Corporation
Funders: Apollo Housing Capital, LLC; City of Houston; Federal Home Loan Bank – AHP; Harris County; Local Initiatives Support Corporation; Southwest Bank of Texas; Texas Department of Housing and Community Development; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Brown Foundation; Fayez Sarofim & Co.; Fondren Foundation; Harry S. and Isabel C. Cameron Foundation; Houston Endowment; McGovern Fund; National Trust for Historic Preservation / HGTV Restore America Program; RBC; Rockwell Fund; Strake Foundation; Susan Vaughan Foundation; Washington Mutual Foundation ; and the Wortham Foundation
est. 2005
Type of Development:
Live/Work Artist Housing
Number of Units:
34
Total Square Footage:
39,000
Total Project Cost:
$6.3M
Features:
Historic Rehabilitation