Sonic Foundry Expands Into the Arts Scene In Tenney-Lapham

The Downtown Arts District may become one of the best places for performing arts but Tenney-Lapham may be just beginning to realize its qualities for creating art. The former WPS property on Sherman Ave. has been leased by the owners to Sonic Foundry for 10 years with 10 years of options. Sonic Foundry is an up and coming music software company based on Willy Street and will join the many other businesses and individuals in realizing the potential of fertile ground for artistic expression right here in our own fruitful slice of the Isthmus.

Does characterizing our neighborhood as a cornucopia of creativity sound far fetched? Well, it did to me too in the beginning, but in spite of my own limitations (I peaked in my ability to play the cornet in fifth-grade band and just sort of lost touch after that), the idea is growing on me. Music-wise, we have for example: classical performers, blue-grass players, locally historic visits from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Garbage, Marie Osmond etc. to our neighborhood recording/mixing studio (so I have been told - any inaccuracies can be blamed on my illiterati status - but I did have a pretty good source about the Marie visit); Audio Depot with the equipment for performance music out on one end of the neighborhood, acoustic instruments in the middle, and now 'virtual instruments' at Sonic Foundry coming to the other end. We have a new bead store coming in, a framing shop with original art/photography, rock shop and jewelry production, several stops that were on this year's Gallery Night extravaganza, antiques, and furniture making. We also have writers, poets, watercolorists and architects. That's just what I know about to start out with. Maybe someone better in the know could write more for the next newsletter...

The plans for the former WPS building, according to partner John Schaefer of Tenney Development Place LLC are focused on making the most of the existing structure, parking lot and green space. Sonic Foundry plans to eventually have 130 people working in the building with future capacity for up to 300. The interior of the building will be largely rebuilt and include heating/air conditioning, electrical and computer networking renovations. The front entrance area will become a conference room meeting space. Windows will be added to the ends of the building. The main entrance will be at the back and be improved. The metal shed and garage will be removed from the back. James McFadden is the architect working with them on ideas for both the interior and exterior. An example of a nearby McFadden project renovating an old building is the Machinery Row Building next to Law Park where William Street Bicycles is located.

The increase in the amount of traffic in the neighborhood is likely to be less than there would have been with a higher density residential development of the 8.5 acre site. The parking lot will be resurfaced and parking island trees pruned. There are about 400 parking stalls in the extensive parking lot. Plantings in the front of the building will be cut back, replaced and added to. There are no current plans to work on pruning the forested areas of the site.

Both the owners of the property and representatives of Sonic Foundry will be happy to meet with neighbors and neighborhood on plans and possibilities. Sonic Foundry is pleased that they are able to expand their business and still stay on the near East Side. Many of their employees live nearby and relish the opportunity to live and work in the surrounding neighborhoods. Lois Oddo of our TLNA Housing Committee will be organizing a meeting.

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