Arts Common 118 (AC118)

Alberta Avenue | Alberta Avenue Demographics

Arts Common 118 (AC118)

A significant movement originally set forth by Arts on the Ave, and Arts Habitat Edmonton resulted in engaging hundreds of community stakeholders during targeted community events held by the Edmonton CDC.
 
Ideas, needs, and hopes were shared, bringing together a vision of a community hub focused on nurturing the arts with a design that blends functionality and aesthetics. A facility we are working hard to make possible.

The Arts Common Concept on 118 Avenue has roots going back nearly ten years.

Overall Ranking of Arts Common 118 by Engagement Participants

A total of 320 people attended one of the above engagement opportunities. Of these, 132 people (41%) completed a feedback form that asked them to rank 10 program elements with a Happy Face, Neutral Face, or Sad Face. They were also asked to provide comments, offer suggestions, share worries for each element. In total 296 comments were provided.

The Main Points of the Event

  • Build affordable space along Alberta Avenue.
  • Build on our brand of an Arts & Culture District.
  • Fill the empty set of lots with people – living, working, creating.
  • Make a vibrant and sustainable place where we can meet to live, create, and breathe life into the Avenue.
  • Help promote a more vibrant and holistic sense of community.
  • Create more spaces that will benefit locals, and that will improve the sense of economic well-being.
  • Bring social revitalization to the Avenue.

Arts Common 118 Envisions a Community Hub and Creative Hive

The concept aims to get as close as possible to net zero. The plans include underground parking and surface parking for 67 vehicles and 78 live-work lofts for artists.

The amenities

  • Coffee house
  • Gallery and market space for artists to show and sell their wares
  • Retail shops (including two alley shops)
  • Black box theatre (expecting to hold 200 people)
  • Rooftop garden/farm
  • 2,000 square foot industrial kitchen
  • Office and program space
  • Outdoor spaces for a farmer’s a market/night market.

 

The Sarah McLachlan School of Music and Northlands have also expressed interest in opening a location at AC 118.

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When we held the engagement party on the ArtsCommon 118 land, the Edmonton Community Foundation sent a crew of staff to take videos of the proceedings and do video interviews with willing participants. We are grateful to the foundation for doing this for us, including the production of 7 videos. Special thanks to ECF’s Andrew Paul and Lisa Pruden and to Lucas Boutilier who operates Naked Rain Creative.

It takes many minds and many hands! Many thanks to the staff and volunteers of the Edmonton CDC and Arts on the Ave for their many hours of planning, setting up the site and supporting participants. And many thanks to those from the neighbourhood who came out on a rainy day to talk about the possibilities that can come alive at ArtsCommon 118.

-Mark Holmgren & Christy Morin

Thank you to the Edmonton Community Foundation for lending staff support for the promotion of the event, the videoing of the event, and working with us to create a podcast about ArtsCommon 118.
We Thank the Alberta Real Estate Foundation for funding the expenses towards the activities and community engagement events held in Alberta Avenue for Arts Common 118.