Railside Studios at 46 Lois Ave. in the Village of West Greenville has officially opened for business with full occupancy.
Comprised of two two-story, formerly vacant buildings that total 8,000 square feet, Railside is divided into 13 smaller studios designed for artists and creative and five small-business units.
“We wanted to expand the Village to the other side of the tracks and provide affordable artist space for artists who felt they were getting pushed out because of rising rent,” co-owner Cliff Carden says.
Monthly rental rates per unit range from $200 to $300. Carden says a few of the young artist tenants are sponsored on scholarship.
“It’s part of our giving back to the community,” Carden says.
Current occupants include longtime Greenville painter Mark Mulfinger, jeweler Leandra Hill Metal Works, blogger Amanda Phillips, floral design studio Philo Floral, Lucky Penny Creative, and GVLtoday. Railside has started a waiting list for future tenants.
The property, adjacent to the railway overpass on Lois Avenue, is owned by CB Holdings, a partnership between Cliff Carden and Bo Bruce. CB Holdings also owns the nearby Village Wrench, and Carden is a partner in the Mutual Home Store redevelopment project around the corner on Pendleton Street.
CB Holdings closed on the property in March and began construction at the end of May. Carden’s wife, Kristi, designed the modern interior. The front building was completed in time for the October First Friday arts crawl in the Village. Carden says a couple hundred visitors came through that night. The back building, which houses GVLtoday’s new office, was completed last week.
