Open Works, a 34,000-square-foot facility that will serve as an affordable, creative incubator, plans to open on Greenmouth Avenue in the fall of 2016. Nonprofit developer Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation (BARCO) should start construction this September, according to a news release.

We are “developing Open Works with, not for Baltimore,” said project coordinator Will Holman. “Baltimore already has a
network of ‘maker’ facilities and programs. Open Works will be working collaboratively with the others already serving the city.

“We view Open Works as a ladder
for youth, unemployed, and underemployed workers looking for better
opportunities,” he said in the release.

The cost of the project is $10 million, and BARCO has partnered with public and private sources to obtain financing, including the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.

Once complete, Open Works will house a wood
shop, metal shop, digital media studio, and a textiles studio, among others. It will also provide 150 work spaces available for month-to-month rentals.

Classes and workshops will feature topics such as production design and technologies, entrepreneurship, and product marketing. And, they’ll be hiring: Open Works will have a staff of six full-time and 10 part-time positions, as well as 50 contract teaching positions for night and weekend classes.

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