Politics & Government

Birdtown Building Eyed for Artist Studio

Building occupied by Atlas Machine could soon be a large renovated artist live/work space, just steps from the Lake Erie Screw Factory.

It looks as if a 100-year-old machine shop in Birdtown may soon get some new life.

A local artist is considering a proposal that would transform the building at 12507 Plover Street — the current home of Atlas Machine — into an artist live/work studio.

Lakewood resident Kim Schoel submitted plans to the city’s planning commission for a development proposal that includes a gallery featuring jewelry and paintings.

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According to her proposal to the city, Schoel intends to bid in the property.

“My familiarity with Birdtown — a formerly unknown and economically challenged part of Lakewood — derives from my participation in the Lake Erie Screw Factory’s annual Open Studio events, which have attracted thousands of people from the Northeast Ohio region,” she said in a letter to the planning commission.

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Among the proposed exterior renovations, Schoel would “integrate the character of the building and improve its appearance” by fixing up the windows and creating a wheelchair accessible ramp.

The inside of the building would look entirely different, according to the plans.

The first floor would be “sectioned off” into a 1,200-square-foot gallery space. The 1,000-square-foot center of the building would accommodate jewelry production; and the rear of the structure would house a 2,000-square-foot painting studio.

According to the docket, Schoel is requesting the approval of a variance to “allow retail sales and a second-floor dwelling.”

The planning commission is expected to review the proposal at its meeting next Thursday.


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