Vote to Help Dearborn Artspace Win a $15K Grant

Supporters of the can vote via Facebook to help Artspace win a grant to bring the project closer to reality, and also help to secure a historical designation for Dearborn City Hall.

Leadership in the city involved with the Dearborn Artspace project are hoping to win a $15,000 "innovation" grant from Ovation TV and Americans for the Arts.

The grant would be applied to architectural design work that would preserve the historical nature of the City Hall building as it is converted to lofts and exhibit space for artists.

There are 63 other projects in the running, so online voting is important if Artspace is to win. The deadline to vote is Dec. 31, and people are allowed to vote multiple times.

The East Dearborn Downtown Development Authority, which is spearheading the Artspace project, has already secured grants from the Ford Foundation, the Kresge Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts for the conversion of City Hall.

The entire project is estimated to cost $17 million.

The EDDDA is working with Artspace, the largest nonprofit arts-based real estate development organization in the country, to transform City Hall into appealing housing for artists.

The project—which would also include performance space and art-related businesses—is planned to happen as the City of Dearborn transitions to a new City Hall. City officials say that move is planned to take place by early 2014.

Negotiations are still ongoing regarding the sale of City Hall to Artspace.

Here is how to vote for Artspace for the Ovation TV grant:

1. Log in to your Facebook account.
2. Click on the link http://Ovtn.tv/fdi
3. “Like” Ovation TV’s Facebook page, which will unlock the voting page.
4. Scroll down to find the Dearborn Artspace Lofts project, which can be identified by photos of Dearborn City Hall. (Projects rotate and are in a different location each time you visit the page).
5. Click the vote button.