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December 2018 \ BUILDING DIALOGUE \ 31 use the space. It’s even been shown to boost productivity and creativity in the workplace.” As part of the Art House Townhome project, Mark Falcone (Continuum Partners) and Ellen Bruss (Ellen Bruss Design) gave Museum of Contemporary Art Denver land to build a new building. This brought an iconic, signature cultural institution into an evolving neighborhood and defined it. Nearby, Continuum developed The Hotel Born next to Den- ver’s Union Station. Working with MCA Denver, Hotel Born showcases 700 works of original art throughout the space. Bruss mentions that “this has completely engaged our visitor, building long-term loyalty and creating a unique selling proposition for the Hotel.” CBCA asserts that there’s an important difference between ex- ploiting the arts and intentionally permeating it into the very nature of a development project to ensure amutually beneficial partnership and sustainable impact. East West Partners has focused on creating places that cele- brate people and the relationships between them. “More than just something beautiful, art is also an important mouthpiece to express what a community is thinking and feel- ing,” said Amy Cara, managing partner at EWP. “Integrating the arts into our communities and creating structures to continue tomaintain themis something that EWPhas stood for since our inception in 1986.” Putting art inside the spaces at EWP is only part of the equa- tion. There is an imperative to engage the community in the creative process for generations to come. For example, the com- pany’s Riverfront Parkdevelopment led to the creationof Platte- Forum, which connects youth with master artists from around the world to create together. Next year, EWP will launch Union Hall, an arts and culture space in partnership with NINE dot ARTS at The Coloradan at Union Station. “Our vision when creating Union Hall was to design a space that is a display and performance space, but is also a true cultur- al community partner that aims to advance the opportunities for emerging artists and ‘creatives,’” explains Cara. Of course, there are challenges when real estate interests meet the arts. At CBCA’s Arts + Real Estate Forum, longtime Denver muralist, painter and sculptor Emanuel Martinez told heart-breaking stories of his public pieces that had been dam- aged by developers and careless construction workers. Beyond respecting the physical aspects of art pieces and ven- ues, there is a more significant responsibility to placemaking. This is not a transactional endeavor achieved in a vacuum. Placemaking also include place-preserving, sustaining and im- proving. “Partnering with your local arts group and art district is a great way for real estate developers to connect deeper with the community they are about to become a part of,” said TracyWeil, co-founder and creative director of the River North Arts District. The RiNo area, which is comprised of four different historic neighborhoods, can be considered “ground zero” for this conver- sation. By their very nature, the arts can be a way to tap into the soul of an existing community. “When artists move into a neigh- borhood, values increase. Art and art- ists make interesting places,” added Bruss. “The challenge for placemakers is to ensure that artists can continue to live and work in these places.” “As the (RiNo) district grows, we’ve worked with developers and new- comers letting themknow the impor- tance of having artists in our commu- nities,” Weil explained. “I always say you can’t have an arts district without artists. It’s important to provide paid opportunities for artists and afford- able space to work and live.” The mutually beneficial business case is clear. Infusing the arts into private development fosters more unique and effective spaces that, if done thoughtfully, can advance the local creative community, which adds value and vitality to the surrounding area. \\ mbadler@cbca.org ELEMENTS Arts Cris Molina Born Hotel Paul Brokering for NINE dot ARTS Kachina at Diary Block