111 First St. was to be a showcase space for artists wanting to hone their skills and make a living in Jersey City. The building, once the headquarters of the Lorillard Tobacco Company, has hosted creative souls for the past 10 years at reasonable rental fees. But now, the landlord of the building wants to implement rent increases, which the tenants say may be a step toward them having to leave the building.
On May 1, the tenants of 111 First St. were slated to hold their first Mayday Arts and Music Festival to let many of Jersey City's residents know that there's a flourishing arts community there, and that it is a community that could be extinct in a short time if there isn't more support from others.
Some of the tenants say they will pay the increases if they are allowed to get yearly leases rather than their present monthly ones. Last week, the owners of the building, Gold Equities, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The first part of this article will explore at some length how 111 First St. became the arts center that it is.
Creating a space
In 1989, 111 First St. was an abandoned warehouse. It had opened in 1870 as a tobacco factory by P. Lorillard, with a sister factory at 104 First St. In 1989, artists from Manhattan and other places started looking at 111 First St., inquiring about space to rent. A few of them cleaned and organized spaces ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 square feet.
A press release dated Nov. 1, 1990 by what was called The Arts Center on First, Inc. touted the efforts of the owners of the building, New Gold Equities Corporation. The release referred to the building as the "Arts Center on First," a haven for artists.
"An extensive effort is being made to bring into the Arts Center support systems for the artists," said the release.
"A 10,000 square foot space is being offered for an art gallery (with first two years rent-free), an art supply store, a frame shop, as well as rehearsal space for a theatrical and dance company."
Bill Rodwell, a sculptor and photographer who has rented a studio space there since 1989, said that friends told him about the space.
"As soon as I walked in the front door of 111 [First St.], I really liked it," said Rodwell. "I went upstairs and whole floors were empty. It was a wonderful July day when I came here."
Rodwell, after spending over 20 years working in New York City, made a space here, signing a lease within a month of his initial visit.
Rodwell then set about carving out a place for himself in the cavernous structure. Like many of his fellow artists during those early years, he had to install basic amenities such as plumbing and a bathroom, light fixtures and even windows.
He said that at that time, about 20 artists were able to flourish under such dire conditions, since this building was located in an area that was rundown and relatively unsafe.
"[The artists] always felt that we benefited from benign neglect," said Rodwell. "The first five years were really pioneering."
Rodwell is currently the president of the 111 First St. Tenants Association and has been a vocal proponent of the artists reclaiming the building.
Elizabeth Onorato, a painter who moved into the space in 1990, said that space helped her flourish as an artist because of the freedom it offered her. Originally from Chicago, Onorato also said that she took one look at 111 First St. and was completely blown away by the space. She was also the organizer of this year's Mayday Festival.
Shandor Hassan was a later tenant to the building, but since he opened his studio in 111 First St. about six years ago, he feels as if he has lived there forever. It reminds him of the environment that he was surrounded by growing up in California.
"I grew up in Northern California in an artists' environment, in a cooperative," said Hassan. "I see it as normal, not some exceptional thing." Hassan is a sculptor, cabinet maker and a photographer who makes a living primarily through his art.
111 First St. kept growing as artists began discovering this building only a few blocks removed from the waterfront.
Where's WALDO?
In June of 1996, former Mayor Bret Schundler introduced a zoning ordinance establishing an artists' district. It would come to be known as WALDO (Work And Live District Overlay), an eight-block area that encompasses Second Street on the North, Morgan Street on the South, Marin Boulevard on the West and Washington Street on the East.
An ordinance passed at the June 26 City Council meeting said, "This district will....serve to provide a cultural center for the City of Jersey City, and will contain a mix of uses to provide a lively street presence of shops, art galleries, performance space and restaurants."
WALDO would have meant the revitalization of many of the abandoned warehouses in the area to become artists' spaces and residences, with 111 First St. already leading the way. But all buildings had to be brought up to code.
The artists would have had to go through an Artists Certification Board, which would have determined which artists were qualified to live in the spaces available in WALDO.
But this dream would become a nightmare as owners of WALDO properties would file lawsuits against the city arguing that the zoning restricted other uses of the property that would make them more money, especially in the internet age.
One of those owners was Lloyd Goldman, the head of New Gold Equities Corporation based in New York City, who owned 110 First St. There were plans to transform the 110 First St. building into an artist work/live space under the WALDO plan between 1998 and 1999, but it never came to fruition.
In an August, 1998 Star-Ledger article, it was pointed out that "Since 1996, many of the buildings in the district have been bought up by speculators, but there have been no large conversions to arts use."
That would be a foreshadowing of what was to come for 111 First Street, with another promise of a vibrant arts district, the disappointment of that promise not being fulfilled, and the impact it would have on the residents in the present day.
Post a Comment