Thanks, anonymous

Art collectives and spaces come and go and are always intertwined with the real estate market. CSAW is no different. Its demise will make room for new spaces in other places that will follow a similar trajectory.

New exciting work will be made in these spaces and it will attract other artists, new ventures, and ultimately more investment. Property values will increase and the artists will be squeezed out and move elsewhere. It has happened in Shoreditch in London, Chelsea and the lower east side, hell, it even happened in Soho although its hard to remember that far back.

The strategic mistake (if there was one) made by the collective known as CSAW was obvious. Unfortunately, the collective (CSAW) did not have a single master lease with the owner and so it really was no more than an apartment building with an ad-hoc tenant organization. Sadly, this does not really mean anything in the eyes of the law.

In future endeavors, a group like CSAW would be wise to find a landlord and have the organization lease the building and then allocate space/leases and manage as the organization sees fit.

You might not like her, but Maggie works for the building’s owner and manages the property as she sees fit. Her overriding concern, and rightfully so - is protecting their rent roles – period. Its her job, no different from any other job.

My guess – only a guess rumor mongers - is she is currently incented by the owners to clear the building out by a certain date for new owners. In watching this whole thing unfold, it seems obvious there have been other efforts to do this very thing under different guises (remember the guy setting up a foundation – what exactly was he doing again??? Who exactly was he working for again??? Come on folks!)

Its too bad about CSAW but the possibilities of new spaces in new places with new work being made is exciting and that’s what I will be watching for.

-anonymous