A South Boston nonprofit that pays Hub teens to work with professional artists and designers is planning a major expansion of its flagship facility that's a model for economical green building.
The Artists for Humanity EpiCenter would nearly quadruple in size under an approximately $25 million, 63,500-square-foot expansion that would create an "energy-positive" building.
"We'll create more energy than we'll use, using a lot of solar and geothermal and some wind and really illustrating some of the great and progressive technologies that are out there," executive and artistic director Susan Rodgerson said. "It's a big challenge, but I think we can do it."
There currently are no such buildings on the East Coast that are 50,000 square feet or larger, according to the organization.
The expansion would allow the 23-year-old Artists for Humanity — which counts itself as the largest single employer of Boston teens — to double the number of youths served. This year 250 teens are working with artists to create fine art, industrial design and provide digital graphic services.
"The need to create jobs for teens is really important," Rodgerson said. "And the fact that there will be this space in the Innovation District providing access to technology and maker space and innovation … is really important for the kids in the city who don't really have access to that kind of stuff."
The teens, who work on projects ranging from a video for National Grid to public art for State Street Corp., are paid wages plus commissions. Last year they received close to $1 million.
The expansion also would add a "maker's studio," new gallery, meeting and conference space, a retail store and a cafe in addition to 25,000 square feet of leasable space for creative industry tenants.
Artists for Humanity plans a capital campaign to raise funds for the expansion, which will take advantage of a 9,000-square-foot parking lot donated by Gillette last year. It already has received some funding commitments, which Rodgerson declined to divulge.
The group moved into the 23,500-square-foot EpiCenter, built at a cost of $7 million, in 2004.
The Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified facility has become a popular place for weddings and other events.
"It was built on a budget, and we've become a really popular place for folks to come and see sustainability at a value," Rodgerson said.
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