Power of Culture Blog
Join Us in Celebrating the Cultural Sector This Fall
Regional gatherings to honor the work of grant recipients across all of the Agency's programs
Jay Paget, Program Director
Since 2006, Mass Cultural Council has been committed to supporting the development of vibrant creative spaces through consultation services and Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF) grants. Our state-wide perspective gives us the opportunity to see development trends in geographically distant communities but with similar stories.
We’ve developed a series – Adapting Public Buildings for Creative Uses – which including interviews, case studies, and webinars with the people who organized, built and now operate numerous transformed municipal spaces as community art centers. In each case we discuss the step-by-step process of transformation.
Our series began in Harwich with The 204 and continues in Easthampton with the development of CitySpace. Over the coming months we will share additional adaptive use case studies.
Mass Cultural Council staff first started talking to CitySpace in 2011 about their Town Hall being transformed into an arts center. By 2013, they received their first Cultural Facilities Fund grant which supported a conditions assessment of the building or as we call it a Systems Replacement Plan. As with many projects, the next step was a planning grant for preliminary architectural plans for the building’s second floor which was closed to the public. Then in 2017 the Agency started making CFF capital investments and in 2025 CitySpace had an official ground breaking for the second floor performance space. As you will see from this case study, this is a long game!
The following case study is based on firsthand accounts from the key figures behind CitySpace’s evolution, including Burns Maxey, the organization’s President; Mike Tautznik, former Mayor of Easthampton and current CitySpace Treasurer; and Ed Check, a Co-founder and board member. They provide practical insights and guidance for those considering the adaptive reuse of historic spaces within their own communities. Their experiences highlight the importance of civic foresight, community engagement, and strategic planning in preserving and repurposing public buildings for creative uses.
To supplement this case study a webinar hosted by MassMunicipal Association was held in June 2025 where CitySpace folks and others doing this work shared their experiences.
Download the CitySpace Case Study
The case study we developed is accompanied by an in-depth interview recorded at Easthampton Media, with thanks to Production Coordinator Jackson Foote:
To be successful, this work needs a network of champions, planners, builders, operators, and funders. You can reach out to the team here at Mass Cultural Council and we can help you be a part of this network. The cultural traditions, treasures, and innovations that your facilities hold represent the history, mystery, and marvel of humanity. Keep up the great work!
