Pawtucket Mayor James E. Doyle kicked off the 21st annual Foundry Artist’s Sale last week with an announcement that underscored his administration’s dedication to the arts. He announced a $15 million rehabilitation project for the J & K Building, which will be used as a space for artists to live and work called Riverfront Lofts. The J & K Building is a former mill building located along the Blackstone River in downtown Pawtucket. Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,… “We must find new uses for our mill buildings if we’re to succeed economically,” the mayor said. “If we’re going to have any chance in bringing life to downtown it will have to be riverfront development that will help bring tourists and their dollars to Pawtucket.” Ranne Warren is the president of the project’s developer Blackstone Exchange, as well as president of Ranne P. Warner & Company and Centros Properties. She said the project, on which she expects construction to begin in 2002 with occupation in 2003, is an outstanding example of smart re-use. “It is perfectly designed as a textile mill building, and the people who designed it made it so it could be used for many things,” she said. In addition to being used as a textile mill the J & K Building was home to a jewelry manufacturer and a knitting factory. ”We can no longer compete in manufacturing, but we can certainly compete with our brains,” said Doyle. Riverfront Lofts will have 55 live/work lofts for artists, writers and composers, with one and two-floor lofts ranging from 1,000 square feet to 2,500 square feet and sales prices starting around $150,000. Other selling points include the stipulation that no sales tax or state income tax will be due for any artist’s works created and sold in the building. A sign on the way into the Foundry Artists Sale, which was at the future Riverfront Lofts space from the beginning of the month through this past Sunday, read “You are in a certified art gallery in Pawtucket’s arts and entertainment district. For artwork purchased in this gallery no sales tax on purchases.” The sale featured the work of more than 50 artists, and included everything from glass paperweights and light bulb Christmas tree ornaments to ceramic devil’s head mugs and pewter note pad holders with ornamental frogs sitting atop the paper.
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