On Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, ULI Charlotte hosted Connecting Arts + Real Estate, an in-person event at The Union at Station West. The first ULI Charlotte event of the new year addressed how Charlotte continues to build and repurpose spaces with the arts in mind, the benefits of incorporating the arts and culture into real estate, and how to strengthen the relationship between the two.

Panelists for the event included David Fisk, President and CEO of the Charlotte Symphony; Tom Gabbard, President and CEO of Blumenthal Performing Arts; and Alex Smith, Placemaker at Camp North End. Tim Miner, Co-founder of Charlotte is Creative, served as moderator.

Here are some key takeaways from the panel:

• COVID made people reconsider what performance space could be, but after so much focus on virtual, people are hungry again for live performance and in-person experiences.
• Beyond theaters and museums, the arts should be also presented in non-traditional spaces – such as breweries, outdoor areas, offices and hospitals – which allows the space to enhance or cast a different light.
• The arts play a significant role in supporting local businesses, creating a symbiotic relationship.
• Rather than the arts being the afterthought of a development – such as commissioning a work of art – some developments, such as Camp North End, chose to lead with the arts and the business followed.
• The goal of the arts is to bring joy to people’s lives, and that means you need to meet them where they are – literally and metaphorically – extending to all neighborhoods in the city.
• Art should provide a fresh new experience – to surprise and delight people – and not be predictable. It’s not just about the performance on stage but the full experience.
• Placemaking is important now more than ever – when most people can work remotely, it’s crucial to create spaces that people want to stay in to work, eat and socialize in for a longer period of time, and continue to bring them back by being inspiring.
• The arts can help communities to rebuild after hardship. In Belfast during the cease fire, the symphony found ways to bring people together and didn’t represent one side or the other, such as bringing in Pavarotti for an open-air concert.
• Goodyear Arts is an example of how artists and developers worked together to find empty warehouses and transform them into studio spaces and gallery shows. It provides a great business model between arts organizations and developers.
• Wynwood and Design District neighborhoods in Miami are also examples of how the arts are incorporated into real estate through partnerships with artists, ensuring that the spaces don’t become stale or dated.
• King’s Cross in London is a redevelopment of a former industrial site that led with activating the public space first to create the energy to draw the commercial.
• Affordable space is a key issue for artists. We need to think about giving long-term spaces to artists, not just to perform but also to practice/rehearse, store their work and provide connections to create a stronger sense of community among artists.

Especially in the past few years, Charlotte has made huge strides in expanding the arts beyond traditional venues into innovative new spaces. Real estate that doesn’t incorporate arts and culture is lacking, and now more than ever, it’s important to consider how to reimagine spaces and create an environment that is comfortable and approachable to all.

Below are some resources mentioned by the panelists:

1. Creative Business Survey (Tim Miner)
2. King’s Cross Video (Tom Gabbard)
3. Real Estate Art: Advocating for Better Use of the Industry’s Support for Artist Communities (David Fisk)
4. Video of the Subway Station in Stockholm – Piano Stairs (David Fisk)
5. The Creative Placemaking report from ULI. Charlotte participated in a program to help develop the content for this report.

Notes provided by Angela Vogel Daley, VP of Strategy and Operations for Yellow Duck Marketing