CultureMap Video

Raw transformation: An exclusive first look at DiverseWorks' new Midtown artvenue

The building that previously housed the beloved Cleburne Cafeteria on the corner of Fannin and Cleburne streets looks nothing like it did back in 1969 when the eatery closed in the location. Then again, it looks nothing like it did eight months ago when it was acquired in November by a group of investors (who wish to remain anonymous) and developed as Art Square Studios on Fannin by Kaldis Development Interests.

The exterior is no longer the rust color of brick. It has been painted white. A dark graphite hue on the soffits and fascia accentuates the roof line, windows and dormers. The color of the shingles fools the eye into thinking they are clay tile — they aren't.

This is the future residence of DiverseWorks Artspace, officially at 4102 Fannin St. — though the art presenter's entrance is accessible from Cleburne, where street parking is available.

"We wanted to be a part of this," Elizabeth Dunbar, DiverseWorks executive director, tells CultureMap on an impromptu tour of the premises. Dunbar was referring to her neighbors on the other side of the building— the artists who will occupy 21 work spaces in Art Square, where only two vacant spaces remain.

A huge, fresh air shared parking lot/patio where guests attending receptions, parties and socials could easily get carried away.

"It's important to become a part of this revival in preparation for the (proposed) Independent Arts Collaborative (at 3400 Main St., less than half-a-mile away)."

DiverseWorks' facade is a long uninspiring solid wall with a couple of doors — though not for long. Designer Kara Rockefeller Williams, the consultant helping Dunbar partition the open concept, plans to add lots of glass to the front and to the sides in places where windows originally hung to bring in natural light.

Inside, a door leads to an exterior alley from which the offices, a work in progress, can be accessed. The most exciting feature is on the second floor: A huge, open air parking lot/patio where guests attending receptions, parties and socials can easily get carried away.

Though the 5,500 raw warehouse is a blank slate, it's about half the size of DiverseWorks' current home just north of downtown. Dunbar thinks the new property can be divided into a visual arts gallery and a performing arts area that can accommodate up to 100 guests, coming close to the 110-seat capacity of the current location.

Her goal is to program many site-specific performances that won't require a physical theater.

But for larger shows that require a theater space, she's open to the possibility of renting other venues, like Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex or maybe returning to DiverseWorks' former home, for which Catastrophic Theatre is considering signing a lease, she says.

Catastrophic's officials declined to comment on these proceedings, but they acknowledged that they are exploring a myriad of possibilities, and that the company's next show will be at Frenetic Theater on Navigation.

Watch the video (above) for a short tour of the DiverseWorks new home at 4102 Fannin St.

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rent report

New report reveals how many Texans are paying too much for rent

Luxury apartment

Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash

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Millions of Texas renters, both current residents and new arrivals, suffer from wallet whiplash.

A new report from the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers shows 45 percent of the state’s renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Renters occupy more than 4.2 million Texas households, representing nearly half of the state’s residents.

Worse yet, 81 percent of extremely low-income households in Texas spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing, the report says. For that income group, Texas has a shortage of 864,000 affordable homes.

Thirty percent is the standard financial benchmark for spending too much income on rent, while 50 percent puts a renter in the “severely cost-burdened” bucket.

“To sustain growth and secure future prosperity, Texas will need more than 320,000 additional affordable homes [rented and owned] to address workforce housing affordability and meet the demands of a growing population,” says the report.

“Today, the state is creating thousands of new jobs,” the report adds, “but housing supply has not kept pace with demand, driving up housing costs and constraining continued economic growth.”

Not surprisingly, people who live in or move to three of Texas’ biggest metro areas get hit with the state’s highest apartment rental rates. Here’s Apartments.com’s list of the 10 most expensive places for renters in Texas, based on apartments whose average size ranges from 713 square feet in Austin to 771 square feet in Plano:

1. Frisco — $1,477 per month
2. Plano — $1,461 per month
3. Austin — $1,417 per month
4. Dallas — $1,413 per month
5. McKinney — $1,363 per month
6. Grand Prairie — $1,327 per month
7. Irving — $1,318 per month
8. Garland — $1,237 per month
9. Fort Worth — $1,217 per month
10. Houston — $1,183 per month

San Antonio boasts some of the lowest average rent among Texas’ 10 most affordable markets: $1,075 per month. Mesquite, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, also fits into that category, with average monthly rent of $1,052.

Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott announced more than $114 million in grants to help develop or rehabilitate properties, providing more than 4,400 affordable rental units.

“As our state grows, we must ensure that Texans have access to the affordable housing they need to thrive,” Abbott says.

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