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Spruill Center proposes affordable artist studios at Old City Hall; council supportive but seeks maintenance/lease details
Summary
The Spruill Center for the Arts proposed converting the old City Hall into subsidized studios (private studios $300/month, shared $150/month) to expand arts programming and activate downtown; councilors praised the idea but requested details on maintenance, parking, partnerships and facility use agreements.
The nonprofit Spruill Center for the Arts presented a plan to convert the city’s former City Hall building into Spruill Studios — a mixture of private and open subsidized studio spaces and a small gallery fronting the street. Alan Mothner, Spruill CEO, said the organization expects to create nine dedicated private studios and six open studios and to offer them at subsidized rates to make space affordable for local artists. "We will do this at a subsidized cost of a dollar 50 a square foot for the artists," Mothner said, adding private spaces would be $300 a month and open spaces $150 a month in other remarks.
Council discussion focused on operational and partnership details: which parking spaces would be reserved for studio use, whether artists would teach classes (Spruill said teaching would primarily remain in Dunwoody but studio demonstrations and open houses are planned), maintenance responsibilities and whether Spruill would join the city’s public arts commission and advisory groups. Staff clarified the agenda request is to authorize further negotiation and not to finalize a lease; council asked staff to draft facility‑use and maintenance expectations for Tuesday’s packet.
