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La Plata council declines immediate support for "Live, Work, Create" arts housing project pending more information
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Summary
Phoenix International requested a letter of support for a predevelopment study toward a proposed mixed-income arts-focused housing and cultural center. Council members raised questions about location, costs, county alignment and local arts-group support; the mayor said she needed more information and the council did not grant consensus.
Angelica Jackson, CEO and cofounder of Phoenix International Incorporated, asked the La Plata Town Council for a letter of support on March 24 to accompany an earmark request to U.S. senators for predevelopment funding for a proposed "Live, Work, Create" project: an intergenerational, mixed-income workforce-housing development paired with a cultural center.
Jackson described the request as funding for predevelopment work — a feasibility study, surveying of local artists and early design artifacts. She said the model would target artists, educators and small-business owners and that the cultural center would allow programming and rehearsal space. "We are calling it Live, Work, Create," she said.
Council members asked detailed questions about scope and funding. One council member asked where the other 20% of funding (beyond a cited federal 80% share) would come from; Jackson said the organization was pursuing foundation grants and other partners. Council members also pressed the applicants about the study price, referencing a roughly $1,000,000 feasibility cost cited in the materials, and an estimated full project cost mentioned in the presentation.
Council members asked for clearer local alignment. The mayor and others requested letters of support from the Charles County Arts Alliance and the local arts council before the town would sign on. Councilman Goodwin and Councilman McCormick expressed concerns about county alignment and the need to coordinate with county affordable-housing approaches; at a moment for consensus the mayor recorded mixed responses: several council members declined to support the letter at this time, one said yes, and others said they needed more information.
Outcome: The council did not provide a consensus letter of support at the meeting. The mayor asked the applicants to return with additional information and local arts-organization endorsements.
Why it matters: The proposal links housing and cultural infrastructure and could affect local housing supply, arts programming and county-level affordable-housing strategies. Council members emphasized coordination with county plans and local arts organizations before municipal endorsement of funding requests.
The council did not vote to endorse the application; staff and the applicants will pursue further outreach and clarification.
