GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Diatribe has announced that it has purchased an 18,341-square-foot building at 2040 Division S in the Burton Heights Business District of Grand Rapids. After construction, it will serve as a space for local youth and for creatives to gather and collaborate. Construction is scheduled to be completed in August 2024.
The building will be known as The Emory Arts and Culture Hub. It will feature eight affordable live/workspaces that are designed to use as studios and living spaces for artists. It will also have affordable retail space for local business owners that are a reflection of the community, to establish retail enterprises on the first floor of the building.
The basement of the building will be a venue for local artists/creatives to perform. It will also be a rentable venue for other organizations/community members.
“The building will not only be a place for young people to gather, but it will add walkability to the business district, and it will be an anchor for development without displacement,” said Marcel “Fable” Price, The Diatribe’s Chief Inspiration Architect. “TRULY affordable housing where we show people across the world that we can come up with innovative ideas that can change the world out of Grand Rapids, unique retail spaces that are priced to where businesses can scale, and an all-ages venue because ALL of our neighborhoods should be places where people can LIVE, WORK, and PLAY.”
The Emory will also serve as The Diatribe’s headquarters, with room for administrative offices and programming.
“If we work together, we can make a real and long-lasting change not only in Burton Heights, but in all of Grand Rapids,” said Price. “We can turn it into a place where EVERYONE can thrive. The Emory is another step in the right direction to making this community a place that feels like our neighborhoods are exactly that.”
