The Siler Yard: Arts+Creativity Center began in 2012 when Creative Santa Fe engaged with Artspace to investigate the possibility of an affordable live/work rental project in Santa Fe. The Artspace Market Study paved the way for an analysis of potential sites for Siler Yard, which identified a portion of the 53 acres of city-owned land near 1218 Siler Road as the best fit. In 2013 New Mexico Inter-Faith Housing joined the project team to serve as the lead developer and applicant for affordable housing development funding. In August of 2015 the project was awarded a prestigious “Our Town” planning grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. In April of 2016 the City of Santa Fe agreed to donate five acres of land to the project on 1218 Siler Road. In June of 2019 the project was allocated $10.5 million in Federal Low income Housing Tax Credits which will allow the project to begin construction in summer of 2020. The housing component of project was completed in April of 2022.
WHAT IS THE SILER YARD: ARTS+CREATIVITY CENTER?
The Siler Yard: Arts + Creativity Center is a unique project that combines affordable live/work rental space, access to tools, equipment and specialized work space, all amplified through on-site economic development training and resources. The project represents eight years of planning and community outreach that interacted with 1000’s of Santa Feans. The project was designed through a facilitated participant design process that involved over 35 local creatives, artists, craftspeople, and emerging entrepreneurs.
The core of the project is 65 units of income-restricted affordable live/work rental housing in one, two, and three bedroom configurations. The housing will be colocated with a shared resources building that will be home to MAKE Santa Fe that aims to include a cutting edge makerspace, exhibition and venue spaces, as well as areas for community activities, entrepreneurial training, and commercial micro-retail opportunities for both residents and the community at large.
SUSTAINABILITY
Siler Yard is the first multi-family structure in New Mexico designed be net-zero energy, meaning it will generate enough solar electricity to offset its entire consumption as well as featuring cutting edge water and energy efficiency.
The project features 100% electric utilities and a 237kWDC utility scale solar array that generates around 1.4mWh/day of electricity which saves around 30,000 pounds of coal consumption monthly. This combined with a high efficiency envelope, heat pump heating and cooling, cutting edge hybrid hot water heaters, and some of the first commercial heat pump dryers in North America, mean that we are able to net out electricity use on the project through rooftop generation.
LOCATION
The project is located in the Siler Corridor, the heart of a longstanding creative center in the city. The site was formerly a City of Santa Fe Public Works Yard and donated to further support this unique approach to affordable housing. The design and amenities of the project involved extensive consultation with surrounding neighbors and businesses. Siler Yard aims to strengthen an existing creative district and resources, while also providing long-term affordable space in an area facing pressure from gentrification and displacement.
VISION
• Represent our Diversity: Resident and user population should be at least as diverse as our low-income communities
• Create an Innovative Intersection: affordable housing + workspace + economic development support+community interaction
• Empower A Broad Definition of Creative Entrepreneurs: Artists, applied arts, trades, and craftspeople should all have a home in this space
• Catalyze the Neighborhood: The development should respond to the needs of the Siler district and its future
• Prioritize Preservation: The project will ensure the neighborhood retains low-cost work and living spaces in a gentrifying neighborhood.
• Create Shared Community Resources: The project will develop assets to amplify existing creatives and businesses within the district
• Design Replicable Models: The project’s approach for community engagement and responsiveness will be designed to scale locally and nationally
