Woodburn St is Closed
After nine precious years of operating at 1-5 Woodburn St, is officially closed as of June 18th.
The property (including neighboring lots) was recently sold for $49.5 million, a figure beyond our reach to secure. As a development site, its conversion was inevitable, yet Woodburn remained an anomaly for nearly a decade. In a city that has passed a tipping point, it is increasingly difficult to accommodate creative production space without systemic intervention. Between short-term demolition leases, legal hurdles, and a pandemic, Woodburn served as a sanctuary for hundreds of creative practitioners over the years.
The Path Forward
Without a viable site for immediate continuity, the lights at Woodburn will be lights out for now. This is a significant loss for our community; for many, it represents not just displacement, but a loss of the physical capacity required to sustain their practice at this scale.
The pressure to find a solution, within the timeframe of closing, was immense and absorbed our full capacity. While we are sad to lose this home for now, we are still on the hunt and are looking to explore new opportunities and with time, we believe we can develop something even better.
The Path Forward
Without a viable site for immediate continuity, the lights at Woodburn will be going out for now. This is a significant loss for our community; for many, it represents not just displacement, but a loss of the physical capacity required to sustain their practice at this scale.
The pressure to find a solution, within the timeframe of closing, has been immense and has absorbed our full capacity. While we are sad to lose this home for now, we are still on the hunt and are looking to explore new opportunities and with time, we believe we can develop something even better.
The Impact of the Space
I cannot express enough the fortune of being able to work alongside more talented individuals than I can even conceive. To give and receive support from this community made it one to be cherished. An immeasurable amount of incredible work has been produced and shared here; the impact of those personal pursuits and collective achievements has been monumental.
We are incredibly grateful for the time we’ve had. We’ve had more time and impact than we ever initially thought we’d have and we cannot be more fulfilled. We will be squeezing every bit of potential out of these final weeks and we welcome everyone to make the most of them. We will continue the conversation and the fight to provide vital creative infrastructure.