“We call the group Hubworks because our goal is to make the old Valparaiso Technical Institute on Lincolnway into a community hub,” says Hilda Demuth-Lutze, a board member of the newly-formed non-profit organization based in Valparaiso.
The group wants to purchase the century-old building from its current owners, undertake major renovations, and then open for business in mid-2015 as a community center offering a mix of programming.
“With three floors totalling 17,000 square feet, we can see creating a coworking space, an arts space and a makerspace,” adds Rebecca Reiner, chairman of the Hubworks board. Additionally, the building is projected to house a café with rooftop garden overhead as well as a series of basement-level workshops, one which would be a makerspace area for students to create their own projects with shared tools such as digital printers, laser cutters, and routers. The adjacent greenspace is projected to contain an outdoor sculpture garden.
Hubworks is launching the Tech’s fund-raising campaign with a reception at the Tech (1150 W. Lincolnway) on Friday, August 15, from 6-9 PM. The event will feature live music, theatre improv, a display of “basement art” sculptures, and a vision presentation for the project. It is timed to coincide that weekend with the annual reunion of Valpo Tech alumni, celebrating the school’s seventieth anniversary of its founding. (Valpo Tech ceased operations in 1991.)
A number of local colleges and corporations are currently discussing sponsorships and collaborations with Hubworks in the building, and the group plans to announce the Tech’s first formal partnerships soon.
“If you don’t know what a makerspace is or haven’t heard about coworking spaces, come join us at the party and find out,” suggests Elias Crim, executive director of Hubworks. “Communities around the country are finding ways to reuse older buildings in order to stimulate economic development. And lots of people in this area would just like to see the old Tech building saved and brought back to life.”