Less than two months after 100 artists were suddenly and unceremoniously kicked out of their studio spaces at the 619 Western Avenue building in Pioneer Square to prepare for Seattle's deep bore tunnel, Mayor Mike McGinn announced a $10-million plan yesterday to convert currently unusable portions of the old U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service building (INS building)—a moody, yet oddly beautiful former jail designed to hold people before deportation—into new artist studio space.

The mayor's office estimates that investing $10 million in New Markets Tax Credits (NMTCs)—including $3 million in HUD Section 108 funds—in INSCAPE, the nonprofit behind the project, will help create 100 permanent jobs as well as the new, affordable artist space.

For the past year, some 40-odd artists have used sections of the building for art projects. But McGinn's office was hazy on how many new artists the building could accommodate, and when.

"By the end of November, we'll have created 100 work spaces for about 120 artists," says Sam Farrazaino, a sculptor and the project manager for the INS Building, approached the city earlier this year with a pitch to retrofit the building into more artist space.

Currently, much of building is uninhabitable due to lead paint and asbestos contamination, and a few walls need to be built to divvy up larger spaces into studios. Farrazaino says that the city's investment will allow for the construction and rounds of lead and asbestos abatement this fall, after which the building will be able to accommodate triple the amount of artists.

This isn't Farrazaino's first hand at retrofitting old buildings for artists in need—he's also the man behind Georgetown's Equinox studios and, before that, had a hand in organizing the (now homeless) artists at the 619 Western building. "It all started when I was looking for studio space for myself," he explains. "You can find cheap warehouse space in places like SODO, but they don't provide community for artists. That's really what we're trying to create for people."

The studios will rent for $1.00 a square/foot to $1.80 a sq/ft. "We’re trying to provide very inspiring spaces," Farrazaino says. "Almost all of them have huge, booming windows that let in lots of light."

He adds: "Rent-wise, we’re comparable to the 619 Western building, the Kaplan building, spaces like that."

To check out the studios, go here.