Reduced rate art studio space available in downtown Mt. Clemens

One Mt. Clemens business is turning empty space into creative space.According to David Case, president of Fox Photography in downtown Mt. Clemens, the office space on the floor above his family’s photography business has been largely vacant as a result of most of the title company tenants vacating after everything went online; two still rent space there to take advantage of proximity to the county building.After asking around and re-evaluating the rent they were asking, Case partnered with the Anton Art Center to offer a reduced rate to artists for studio space, turning it into an arts incubator of sorts. “It’s very affordable space, it’s in town, and it’s close to the art center,” Case says.Plus, with each signed lease, Case will make a contribution equal to the first month’s rent to the Anton Art Center. So far, a jewelry designer has moved in and more have come to look at the remaining five spaces.Photography being an art in itself, Case says the business is sensitive to the needs of artists making a name for themselves. “The town has been smacked hard, and there’s not a lot of retail in town right now,” he says. “We need some bodies. Usually when a town turns around, artists come first.”The spaces range in size from 80-360 square feet. The rental rate is $1 per square foot per month, on a month-to-month basis. Utilities are commonly shared between the studio tenants.Source: David Case, president of Fox PhotographyWriter: Kristin Lukowski