STARKVILLE — The lighting was dim inside the Cre8tive Warehouse Friday night as a thunderstorm rolled in from the southwest.
But as lightning flashed outside and winds picked up, a storm of a different kind was brewing inside the 6,000-square-foot structure at Washington and Lampkin streets.
More than a dozen people gathered at the Cre8tive Warehouse to brainstorm about the future of the building.
Artwork still hangs in the gallery and the ground floor is still crowded with artists” workspaces, but Heath Kleinke, the last of three co-founders still involved with the Cre8tive Warehouse project, moved his design business out of the building this week. A First Fridays event featuring local artist Brad Coleman is planned for May 7, but the future of the building beyond that is still in question.
Rent for the month of May has yet to be paid, said Dylan Karges, incoming president of the Starkville Area Arts Council, who is spearheading an effort to maintain the building as an arts and community resource center. The Starkville Area Arts Council is committed to keeping the building open, Karges said, and is willing to pay a portion of the $1,800-a-month rent, but not the entire amount.
“This could be a great resource for the entire community if we take this on together,” Karges said.
The first issue, however, is what to do with the building, said Nisreen Cain, president of the Green Starkville organization. Cain suggested the group establish a mission statement and objectives before tackling other issues at the building, such as much-needed roof repairs and a lack of parking.
Heather Carson, president of the Starkville Foundation for Public Education, questioned whether to maintain the building and spend money to repair the leaky roof, or to set up an arts and community resource center at a different location.
Nick Dicolandrea, vice president of Green Starkville, said he is willing to submit grant applications for funds to repair the building.
But the ultimate question is what the group of artists and community members wants to do with the building, Karges said. He said it could house offices for local non-profit organizations, board rooms and meeting spaces, artist studio space and exhibition galleries. He also would like to see after-school or summer arts programming for children and youth in the building.
The building even could be used for senior citizen activities or serve as a permanent weekday home for local produce vendors since the Starkville Community Market only operates on Saturdays, he said.
Attempts to reach the building”s owner, attorney Rob Roberson, were unsuccessful, but Karges said he spoke with Roberson Friday.
“I think (Roberson) is fully behind the potential of this building being a creative resource for the community,” Karges said.
The group set up an e-mail list before leaving the brainstorming session Friday night and plans to share ideas on what to do with the structure.
“I think we have a great opportunity to revive this,” Karges said.
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