What is Ridgway Space to Create?

Ridgway Space to Create is managed by Asset Living, a national property management company with 36 years of experience and offices in Montrose.

The property is a mixed-use project residing along Clinton Street in the heart of Ridgway, Colorado. It includes a three story low-rise residential building with 30 one and two bedroom units of quality, modern and affordable live-work housing and 1,280 square feet of community space. There are terraces on the second and third floors which overlook the San Juan Mountain range.

The project also includes about 2,000 square feet of community space that is leased by the Town of Ridgway's FUSE Creative Main Street Program for events, performances and classes. Learn about renting the community space for your event here.

Occupancy is limited to households earning between 30% and 60% of published local median income when they move into the property. Employment income verification, credit, landlord and criminal history will be requested for all adult applicants as part of the screening process. Rental rates will be adjusted to an affordable level depending on income.

The building is owned and operated by Artspace, a Minneapolis based non-profit organization founded in 1979 and a national leader in community artist-led development. Artspace uses Low Income Housing Tax Credits to subsidize rental costs. Their national portfolio includes 49 projects with over 2,220 affordable units for creative people and their families, and 3+ million square feet of space for arts-related activities. 

The Space to Create Project aligns with the Town’s goals for affordable workforce housing production and economic and cultural vitality. As a committed partner in the effort, the Town of Ridgway worked alongside state and regional organizations to bring Ridgway Space to Create to fruition.

Ridgway Space to Create was part of Space to Create Colorado, the first state-driven initiative for affordable housing for creative-sector workers in the nation. Demonstration projects in Loveland and Trinidad were followed by developments in Ridgway, Grand Lake, and Colorado Springs.

The initiative was led by the Colorado Office of Economic Development’s Colorado Creative Industries, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, the Boettcher Foundation, Artspace, and History Colorado, with the Town of Ridgway serving as a key local partner. Additional funders included Enterprise Community Partners, the Gates Family Foundation, the Ridgway Creative District, the Telluride Foundation, and the Town of Ridgway itself. Together, these partnerships brought in over $10 million to build Ridgway Space to Create.

As part of its contribution, the Town of Ridgway was awarded a grant from the Department of Local Affairs’ Energy & Mineral Impact Assistance Fund to support the acquisition of the parcel for the project, and the Town leased the parcel to Artspace for a 99-year term.

For full details and to apply, please visit https://www.ridgwayspacetocreate.com/