Loveland lures artists to spur urban development

When the first residents move into new low-income apartments built for artists and their families in downtown Loveland, they'll be part of a national movement that counts on painters, dancers and musicians to help create urban renaissance.

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An old mill building and surrounding once-vacant lots and formerly dilapidated warehouses or factory spaces are being transformed in Loveland, a lakeside community with a history of supporting the arts. Entrepreneurs are already opening restaurants and galleries near the 30-unit housing complex, which won't be occupied before May.

Collaborators in Loveland include Artspace, a Minneapolis-based organization that owns such developments across the country, and ArtPlace America, which brought together major funders like the Ford and Rockefeller foundations to distribute grants nationwide aimed at weaving the arts and artists into community planning and development.