COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Will artists move in droves to Covington’s west side? The renovation of a vacant lumber building on 12th Street starting in June could spark the long-stalled wave of artists that many have talked about for years.

And many hope a good mix of residents will follow.

Expect a lot of activity on 12th Street/Martin Luther King Boulevard on the city’s west side this year. Two large vacant buildings will get rehabbed — the former Hellmann Lumber building and former Flannery Paint building.

Some of the wrought-iron fencing stolen in front of homes will get replaced. Homes for artists will get built. And community art projects will be seen throughout the west side.

“For me personally having been around for a long time, I’m excited we’re able to fulfill some of the promises made decades ago,” said Tom DiBello, executive director of community development organization Center for Great Neighborhoods (CGN).

CGN will use a $1.45 million grant from the Kresge Foundation over the next three years to try to transform the west side neighborhood into a haven for artists and welcoming area for the general public.

“We’re hoping it’s an area where there can be a lot of arts-related businesses, but we also want it to be a place where that barrier between artists and non-artists is broken down,” said Sarah Allan, director of creative placemaking for CGN. “That it’s not like it’s just an art district, it’s more, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of creative stuff happening and I can be creative, too.’”

The renovation of the Hellmann Lumber building into a community arts center will anchor Covington’s west side, DiBello said. It’s one of the biggest buildings on the block, behind the vacant Bavarian Brewery.

CGN has raised a sizable portion of the $2.4 million needed to renovate the 130-year-old, two-story lumber building and hopes to start construction in June.

By early 2016, CGN hopes to move its headquarters into Hellmann Lumber and have most of the building devoted to arts and community space.

The Kresge Foundation has given $500,000 to the renovation of the building. The rest will come from donors, tax credits and other investments.

The Carnegie arts center became the first organization to sign a letter of intent to lease studio space. They will move a woodworking studio in there. All artists that move into the space will have to open their shops to the public to show people how they ply their trade, Allan said. In return, CGN would give them forgivable loans on equipment, such as printing presses or whatever the artists need.

“I do think the development of that building and our being in there will imply that there are people coming and going, that there’s foot traffic and that it’s a destination,” DiBello said.

The sound of an arts district might make some in Covington skeptical. The city has tried to start arts districts before along Pike Street and Madison only to see the efforts fizzle. But with the help of $1.45 million from the Kresge Foundation, many feel this is different.

First off, it’s not driven by local government, said sculptor and west side resident David Rice. Community organizers and residents are in charge of this, he said.

Thanks to the Kresge Foundation, CGN gave Rice $5,000 to build a sundial in the west side of the city. CGN will be giving out many similar grants over the next few years with the grant money in addition to $250 micro-grants for residents to carry out ideas that help the community.

“I think this is different because I don’t think the city will get involved in this so much,” Rice said. “When government gets involved, sometimes things don’t flower. I think of the Center (for Great Neighborhoods) as more of a grassroots institution. That’s how real art movements get started. It’s just the residents and sort of a grassroots kind of thing.”

The grant will be used on the west side over the next three years to spur a variety of artistic and community endeavors. CGN will use the money to replace some of the antique wrought-iron fences stolen two months ago along 12th Street. Homeowners along this stretch woke up one morning to find the fences and gates pulled from their front yards.

CGN will choose six homes to replace the fences. Homes in the west side will also get a facelift. CGN will pick properties to get grants for facade improvements, including paint and trim. They will choose the homes based on what will have the most impact on the neighborhood. This year they’ll give six properties along 12th Street about $10,000 each to improve the facades. People in the west side will also be able to purchase later this year from CGN “icons” to put on their homes to indicate their passions, skills or professions.

For instance, a baker will be able to buy a pretzel icon or a carpenter could buy a saw and hammer icon. The grant also will help CGN buy and build properties in the area to market to artists as residences and workspace, similar to the Shotgun Row homes built on Orchard Street just off 12th Street.

___

Information from: The Kentucky Enquirer, http://www.nky.com

Copyright 2015 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WF-03-28-15 1527GMT