Mayor Adams, DCLA Commissioner Cumbo Launch Pilot Program to Support City's Cultural and Creative Infrastructure

December 19, 2024

“NYC Create in Place” to Provide Case Management, Assistance With Navigating Resources, Advocacy, and Other Tools to Assist Cultural Organizations at Risk of Losing Space or Looking to Expand or Relocate 

New Web Portal Will Serve as One-Stop-Shop for Cultural Organizations and Creative Businesses to Access Resources and Support 

Follows Historic Investment in Cultural Sector as Part of FY25 Budget

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams, First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer, and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Commissioner Laurie Cumbo today announced, “NYC Create in Place ,” a pilot program that provides centralized support focused on preserving, accessing, and expanding creative spaces for the city’s cultural organizations and creative businesses. Responding to rising costs, difficulty accessing government resources, and navigating real estate opportunities, NYC Create in Place will provide support through a new web portal launched today serving as a one-stop-shop for cultural organizations and creative business to access resources and support online. The Interagency Create in Place Task Force, led by the DCLA, will help creative entities address space issues, navigate city resources, and foster long-term sustainable solutions that will help preserve equitable, accessible spaces that strengthen community vitality and neighborhood character for cultural organizations and creative businesses across all five boroughs. New York City’s cultural sector gives New York’s neighborhoods unique character, helps drive local economies, and supports the social health and wellbeing of New Yorkers, particularly those in low-income and historically marginalized communities.   

“Art and culture are woven into the fabric of every community in New York City, often driven by small, local spaces that serve as hubs for community and connection for New Yorkers. The COVID-19 pandemic left many of our cultural organizations threatened by many aspects, including funding and finding spaces in our city,” said Mayor Adams. “‘NYC Create in Place’ will provide technical assistance and support to cultural and creative organizations that are facing long-term or acute challenges to preserve these incredible institutions and the value they bring to their communities.” 

“From small theaters to galleries, bookshops, and everything in between, our city’s community-based cultural and creative spaces mean so much to New Yorkers - they provide places to connect, they drive local economies, and they give our neighborhoods the energy that is so important to the character of our city,” said DCLA Commissioner Cumbo. “With NYC Create in Place, we’re offering a powerful new tool to aid these spaces when they need it most. Create in Place will help them navigate resources and assistance programs, guiding them through challenges so they can maintain a lasting foothold in the communities they’re a part of. We thank our partners across the city, including in the cultural sector, who have helped to inform and shape this exciting new initiative, and we look forward to collaborating with a wide range of New Yorkers to safeguard these essential parts of our city.” 

“Create in Place acknowledges the vital role the creative sector plays in making New York City the magnetic and inspiring global hub that it is,” said “New” New York Executive Director B.J. Jones. “This new program is an important step in addressing long-standing affordability challenges by helping this community find resources, navigate bureaucratic requirements, and connect with potential partners who are committed to the stability of arts and culture.” 

The NYC Create in Place Resource Hub offers a curated selection of resources, including technical assistance programs, funding opportunities, and lists of creative workspaces and service providers, as well as webinars and best practice guides, to connect organizations with the tools and support they need. Additionally, through the online portal, organizations and landlords that have space available for creative uses may submit information about their space. The Create in Place team can then match these entities with organizations looking for space. Existing city-owned resources will be further leveraged and new public spaces will be identified, including underutilized city-owned storefronts and other spaces that have the potential to be activated for cultural use. 

The Interagency Create in Place Task Force is another way this initiative brings an equitable, interagency approach to addressing the acute needs and challenges facing cultural organizations and creative spaces. Led by DCLA, this interagency task force includes the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, the Mayor’s Office for Nonprofit Services, New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), the Office of Nightlife, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the New York City Department of City Planning. In addition to advising on Create in Place policy and program design, the task force will serve as a first-response team, evaluating and assessing requests for help with space needs, coordinating support, and promoting engagement and funding opportunities for cultural and creative spaces through a whole-of-government approach that breaks down silos and brings an equity lens to supporting the city’s creative and cultural sector. Cultural organizations and creative businesses at risk of losing their space or looking to expand or move into a new space can access this support. 

NYC Create in Place advances a key component of Mayor Adams’ “Rebuild, Renew Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery,” which included the creation of this initiative, as well as recommendations from the “New” New York action plan to expand support for the cultural and creative sector and invest in New York's creative economy, including a focus on affordable space for artists and arts organizations. The city’s creative sector is a key component of the overall economy, supporting 300,000 jobs and generating $110 billion in economic impact. With the launch of NYC Create in Place, New York City is the second major city after London to have established a program to safeguard their cultural assets.  

Starting in January 2025, Create in Place will offer a series of virtual workshops and panels to offer insight and information into key issues facing the city’s cultural and creative sectors. This will kick off with a three-part legal series on commercial leases, nonprofit formation, and independent contractors, offered in partnership with the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Lawyers Alliance, and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. This series will be followed by a panel discussion on how the creative sector can work with real estate interests to foster affordable, accessible cultural space.  

NYC Create in Place also builds on recommendations in the city’s CreateNYC cultural plan which called for implementing policies and programs to help reduce costs, build capacity, and streamline resources for organizations and businesses to access affordable workspace.  

NYC Create in Place follows other city initiatives in targeting support to critical sectors of the city’s economy and cultural fabric. SBS launched the NYC Business Express Service Team in 2022, designed to provide small businesses with one-on-one expert support and cut time spent navigating city government. Launched in 2017, the city’s Office of Nightlife similarly serves as a central point of contact among the nightlife industry, community, and city agencies, with the goal of helping to ensure a more vibrant, viable, safe, fair, and well managed nightlife environment in New York City. Create in Place will work closely with both of these offices to bring their lessons and resources to bear on the challenges facing New York City’s cultural and creative sector more broadly. 

“I represent the West Side of Manhattan, one of the artistic capitals of the world,” said New York State Assemblymember Tony Simone. “Create in Place will connect cultural and creative organizations with the space they need to fulfill their missions and uplift our communities through art, culture and innovation. I applaud the Department of Cultural Affairs and Commissioner Laurie Cumbo for prioritizing our cities creative sectors and recognizing their importance in our cities economic strength.” 

“Support for the arts is one of the wisest investments any government can make: every dollar in grants to artists produces a 700% return in economic activity. New York City’s $5.6 billion arts industry generates 117,000 jobs, $2 billion in income, and $1.3 billion in tourist spending,” said New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. “I am proud that we passed a budget with $88.5 million for the New York State Council on the Arts, and the ‘NYC Create in Place’ program will give organizations the support they need to manage grants wisely. The program will supercharge our unparalleled arts scene through technical support on securing real estate for creative spaces—an expertise many artists lack. Real estate know-how will bring stability to arts organizations, preventing tragedies like the closures of CBGB or Lenox Lounge. Thank you to Mayor Adams and Commissioner Cumbo for supporting our vital arts scene so that all creative spaces thrive.” 

“As chair of the Cultural Affairs Commission, I am proud to champion NYC Create in Place, an innovative initiative that reinforces New York City’s commitment to its vibrant cultural and creative sectors,” said Kristina Newman-Scott, chair, Cultural Affairs Commission. “By fostering collaboration across agencies and providing vital resources, this program not only safeguards our creative infrastructure but also fuels our city’s economic recovery. NYC Create in Place demonstrates the power of creativity as a cornerstone of New York’s resilience and growth.” 

“Today’s announcement of NYC Create in Place marks a significant step forward in supporting New York City's vibrant cultural landscape,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera, chair, Committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries. “As chair of the council's Committee on Cultural Affairs and Libraries, I am proud to see this initiative dedicated to helping cultural organizations and creative businesses thrive, particularly in the face of rising costs and challenges around accessing resources. These creative spaces are not just places for artistic expression, they are vital community hubs and anchors that shape the character of our neighborhoods, support local economies, and foster social connection. By providing centralized support, this program ensures that all New Yorkers benefit from the unique cultural fabric that makes our city the best in the world.” 

“At IndieSpace we work with hundreds of organizations and thousands of individual artists who are trying to create their work in New York City. We know and they know, all too well, that it is not easy.  Artists struggle with the high costs of managing their spaces, which often relate to complicated regulations and the excessive time needed to navigate through all the government channels for various requirements,” said Randi Berry, executive director, IndieSpace and co-chair, Mayor’s Live Performance Council Real Estate Subcommittee. “NYC Create in Place will dramatically change and streamline how arts and culture organizations can access resources, by providing an innovative connection point for these organizations. We are excited by this important initiative that we expect arts and culture organizations will highly utilize and embrace.” 

“New York City is the most culturally diverse city in the world. In recent years, our cultural and creative sector has suffered due to the current affordability crisis,” said New York Production Alliance and Member of the Mayor’s Film/TV Production Industry Council Flo Mitchell-Brown. “The ‘NYC Create in Place’ pilot program will assist in building a network and coalition to support the needs of our current and future content creators. As a long time NY Film and TV leader, I see this program as a “game-changer” and applaud the mayor and DCLA for taking these bold measures to support our mature, vibrant and vital industry to our community. 

“NYC Create in Place is a groundbreaking step in preserving the vital spaces that freelance workers and cultural organizations rely on to sustain their craft and livelihood. This initiative not only uplifts our city’s creative workforce but also strengthens the cultural fabric that drives our economy and enriches the lives of all New Yorkers,” said Rafael Espinal, president, Freelancers Union. “Creative spaces and workers are the backbone of New York’s vibrant neighborhoods, and programs like this ensure their contributions continue to thrive for generations to come.”   

“We applaud the launch of NYC Create in Place as rising rents have closed many venues, community arts organizations, and rehearsal spaces leaving many creative workers without access to affordable rehearsal, performance, and exhibition spaces,” said Sarah Calderon, executive director, Creatives Rebuild New York. “This demonstrates New York City’s commitment to the creative workforce and the city’s understanding of how artists contribute to community economic vitality.” 

“New York City desperately needs more spaces available to the arts and culture community. Many organizations find the process of finding space and addressing their real estate needs to be opaque and daunting, and it's of constant concern,” said Paul Leibowitz, founder, Plot Real Estate Advisory.“NYC Create in Place is a visionary effort that will provide an invaluable database of space needs of arts and culture organizations as well as track which real estate owners have space suitable for such users. This ingenious new resource should be applauded, as it marks a transformative step to help preserve, find and develop vibrant spaces for New York City’s creatives.”  

“This thoughtful and innovative new program opens the door for wider systems of support for the city's vital--and too often economically at risk---cultural centers and groups,” said Lucy Sexton, executive director, New Yorkers for Culture & Arts. “It connects cultural organizations to resources in many city agencies, lifts up the identity of cultural centers as small businesses who power the economy, and prioritizes access to space and stability which the sector needs to survive and thrive.”