Medill News Service | Sunday, May 22, 2005 | No comments posted.
But he thinks he's found a permanent home for his business: the fledgling artists' community in Bridgeport.
The South Side neighborhood is famous for its meat-packing industry, its White Sox and its Democratic Machine politicians.
But Friedl thinks art will be the community's latest product.
He isn't alone. Other artists are moving in, and many believe the neighborhood -- unlike other communities that once supported artists and now are too expensive -- will house an artists' community for a long time.
Artists' communities have to fight to survive in Chicago, according to Barbara Koenen, project manager in the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
"When artists come in, they do tend to create attractive businesses, galleries, restaurants, gardens, festivals and concerts," she said.
"They make a neighborhood more attractive, put in on the radar? It attracts developers; people start redoing buildings, pricing artists and original residents out of the neighborhoods."
Experts agree that the Wicker Park/Bucktown neighborhood is a classic example of a neighborhood that artists helped to improve, only to be pushed out later.
Laura Weathered, an artist who has worked in Wicker Park for more than 20 years, remembers a time when the North Side neighborhood was struggling.
"Artists were willing to go into substandard lofts, convert them and be a presence in the area," she said.
But by the late 1980s, the neighborhood had attracted attention, and developers arrived. Since then, taxes have increased 400 percent on some properties, Weathered said. Most artists left in search of more affordable neighborhoods.
From the beginning, Bridgeport artists say, their neighborhood hasn't fit the Wicker Park model.
Though the South Side area is clearly changing -- one developer estimated that about 20 new upscale housing projects have sprung up since 2001 -- art has not been the harbinger of upscale development like in Wicker Park.
Instead, developers and artists arrived at about the same time, approximately five years ago, looking for the same thing: reasonable prices.
Anthony DeGrazia, a developer of numerous Bridgeport properties, said the artists' presence "really never entered my mind.
"I see Bridgeport as the most undervalued neighborhood in the city right now," he said. "It's unbelievable what you can get for your dollar."
Interesting spaces make interesting neighbors
ShanZuo and DaHuang Zhou, better known as the "Zhou brothers," also had a vision of what they could do with affordable space. They arrived nearly 20 years ago, long before many other artists started moving in.
The Zhous are internationally renowned multimedia artists, and their fame and success led to a rare commodity in the art world: money.
They're investing a substantial portion of it in Bridgeport. Currently, they own eight buildings devoted solely to art.
The Zhous are the pillars of the growing art community, according to Friedl.
He and many other artists moved their galleries to the neighborhood because the Zhou brothers rent out work and exhibition space at reasonable prices.
The Zhous' living and working space at 3308 S. Morgan St. used to be a social club. They left the high, molded ceilings and gleaming wooden bar, furnishing the space in red Chinese lanterns and sleek leather couches.
In a lot next door, the brothers created a sculpture garden, a serene oasis of gently swaying trees and austere sculptures.
Their next project is the Zhou B. Center at 1029 W. 35th St. The space will house an art school, gallery and studio rental space.
Even though property values now are "three to four times more than what they were 15 years ago," ShanZuo Zhou said he and his brother plan on keeping their tenants' rents low.
"This is the ideal situation of having property in the hands of artists rather than developers," said Martin Soto, a painter who rents space at the Center.
The Zhou B. Center also benefits from its presence in what the city calls a planned manufacturing district, or PMD. In the historic warehouse area near the Chicago River, buildings can be used only for industry, including art production.
A developer's dream
Developer Richard Price thinks the old multistory buildings are impractical for manufacturing because of the "cost of running labor up and down on an elevator." Recently, he converted a building he has owned for 25 years, at 3636 S. Iron St. near the Zhou B. Center, into artists' studios.
He plans to open gallery space and rent small studios, about 22 per floor, to artists of all types.
Currently, Price rents space for $1 per square foot per month. He said property taxes are going up, but he won't raise rents "even if taxes triple."
"We have a long-term commitment," he said. "We've seen how these communities change and we're all convinced that's not going to happen here. There's a good chance that we can maintain this."
He believes the PMD will help Bridgeport remain affordable because buildings in the warehouse district can't be used for residences.
"If people buy a building and convert it to condos, it's a one hit grand slam," he said. "That's how Wicker Park (development) took place."
Those who believe Bridgeport will remain affordable for artists argue that there's also the issue of the community's character.
Bridgeport has always resisted change. Some of the family-owned restaurants that line Halsted Street have been around for decades. Chain stores are rarities.
"There's a group of people here who buy their parents' houses," said Kris Sorich, who grew up in Bridgeport.
Yet change is occurring, she said. The city is adding new sidewalks, curbs and greenery to portions of Halsted Street. 11th Ward Alderman James Balcer is trying to attract new businesses.
But politicians and developers say they aren't interested in creating a new Wicker Park.
"I think the alderman's vision is to keep (businesses) family-owned but to attract a Starbucks to complement the existing mom-and-pop establishments" said John Molloy, a project manager with the city's planning and development division.
"Bridgeport will always be Bridgeport, always a family-oriented community," Balcer said.
Developer DeGrazia said he's also committed to retaining Bridgeport's character.
"The big concern is we want to keep it affordable (for) people who've been here for years," he said. "It's very important to me."
Friedl can't ignore the changes in his neighborhood, but he remains optimistic that his gallery has found a permanent home.
"If the arts get established down here, then I have great hopes that this can stay for a much longer time than any other development that I've been able to witness in Chicago."
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