Twin Cities-based Artspace develops affordable housing for artists, helping stabilize communities and planting the seeds for additional investment. City planners across the country have taken note, and have asked Artspace to bring their magic to their communities. Artspace is now working on several projects across the country, including New York City where the group recently completed the $52 million conversion of PS109, a once-abandoned public school building in East Harlem, into an arts facility with 89 units of affordable live/work housing for artists and their families. The project also includes 10,000 square feet of complementary space for arts organizations, and 3,000 square feet of resident gallery space. I wrote about the project two years ago (see the video and story by clicking here) just before construction began. This week that project landed front and center in New York Mayor, Bill De Blasio's state of the city address. Here's what he had to say about the project.