Opinion | My effort to transform an old JCPenney store into a local arts hub

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Growing up on the North Side of Minneapolis, I saw many, many buildings become repurposed after their first lives ended. I saw gas stations become dental offices, churches transform into condominiums and even restaurants morph into pet hospitals. In each case, something new was created to serve the community in a different way.

After moving to Maple Grove, my regular commute took me almost daily by the old, closed JCPenney store. It was a massive empty hulk of a building with an equally empty parking lot in the middle of its affluent northwest Twin Cities suburb. I remember daydreaming how it could be repurposed into something useful for the community.

Being a writer, playwright, musician and actor, I of course envisioned a neon marquee on the large square concrete top front of the building, just above the main doors. I could see coming-attraction posters on either side of the doors as well as theater ropes, a box office, a gallery with paintings and even audiences enjoying various shows. With every passing day, that vision of a performing and visual arts center in the space became more and more detailed in my mind.

The motion-picture arts in Maple Grove took two large hits in the 21st century when the Mann Maple Grove Cinema 10 closed in 2012 and when the AMC Arbor Lakes 16 shuttered its doors in 2022. Both buildings were repurposed, with one becoming a WhirlyBall entertainment center and the other a flooring store. Today, there are no cinemas in the community of more than 70,000 people.

After Maple Grove lost both its cinemas, I noticed a lack of venues for all fine arts within miles and miles of my home.

In February, I asked for the contact information of the leasing agent, whom I called. Miraculously, I was able to get through within a relatively short time and had a lovely conversation with the real-estate representative. He told me the landlord was open to any reasonable offer for leasing the former JCPenney but wanted a tenant who would draw people to the shopping area he owned around the building. He specifically desired a new occupant that would increase foot traffic into the restaurants and other businesses in Grove Square.

I told him of my idea to create a new fine-arts center. He was intrigued. I also indicated there may be tax advantages for working with the consortium of organizations I envisioned leasing the space from, another umbrella nonprofit called Grove Square Studios (GSS). GSS has now created its own website (grovesquare.org) and management team, and applied for recognition as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

For the last five months, I have networked with various wonderful fine-arts groups near and around Maple Grove. Yellow Tree Theatre in Osseo was first on board, with its talented and visionary artistic director Austene Van showing great interest. Given that the leasing agent and I had built wonderful rapport over months, he allowed me to give Austene a personal tour of the building.

I felt amazingly fabulous after that first tour. My dream was set in motion and had a chance of becoming reality. I have given several more tours since.

There are now more than 30 fine-arts groups interested in the Grove Square Studios project, including filmmakers, dance companies, theaters, musical ensembles, concert bands, two- and three-dimensional arts folks, stand-up and improv groups, a local chamber of commerce, and even a bugle and drum corps.