Green Corner to be new Kennedy Heights 'third place'

A nondescript former gas station at the corner of Montgomery Road and Tyne Avenue will soon become the Green Corner Studios and Marketplace, Kennedy Heights' newest "third place".

Over the next six months, Richard Cooke plans to develop the building and surrounding grounds into working studio space for three artists, a Saturday farmers' market, and a community garden.

Once seized by police due to criminal activity and then held by a California speculator, the property finally became available to Cooke ten weeks ago.

"I'm very pleased to have to support of the community," he says.

Cooke says that the reuse of the structure is an important aspect of sustainability, and all work on the renovation will be done with the work of local craftsmen.

"I'm originally from the south coast of Wales," he says.  "I grew up in an area where we had a strong preservation and heritage culture.  With that comes a mentality of recycling and using existing materials."

Formerly on the board of the Kennedy Heights Arts Center (KHAC), Cooke looked at the success of the KHAC and District A and found a way to complement the surrounding arts endeavors without competing.

"I have a real liking for sculpture, and I would love to install sculpture on the property," he says.  "The KHAC doesn't rent out to sculptors or metalworkers."

The courtyard will become a Saturday farmers' market, with space for 5-10 market stalls for local vendors to sell products like fruits, vegetables, honey and cheese.

The community educational garden will allow children and adults to learn horticultural techniques that they can then take home to beautify their own properties.

Cooke says that Green Corner will be funded through his own savings, donations from supporters, grants, and volunteer time.

"I feel a strong responsibility to our community and our environment," he says.  "I've tried to address that with this project.  The whole space is for the community, ultimately."

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Richard Cooke, Green Corner Studios and Marketplace
Photography by Scott Beseler