The Russell Industrial Center will be hosting another of its open studio days on Saturday, April 26. The all-day event invites the public to come tour
the sprawling 2.2 million square foot complex and its many artist studios and businesses. It's an opportunity for artists and small businesses to showcase their wares while also providing the public an inside view of the Albert Kahn-designed manufacturing complex.
There will be a number of new vendors for the public to check out in addition to the Russell's numerous well-established artists and businesses. Leasing officer Eric Novack says that the Russell has added over 40 tenants in the past six months. The list of new tenants includes artists, recording studios, furniture makers, and marketing and promotions teams. Novack credits a number of factors for the increase in occupancy.
"It's been a back-to-basics approach with our tenants, people who don't need a lot of overhead and regulating," says Novack. "It's a shift back to our original ideology. Come for your dreams and ideals and manufacture that reality."
Several high profile events and appearances have also helped that surge in occupancy. The Russell recently hosted the ever-popular
Dirty Show for the first time. GMC unveiled its 2015 Canyon there during this year's North American International Auto Show. The iconic and gigantic chimera graffiti mural facing I-75 was even featured in the Bob Dylan-narrated Chrysler commercial that aired during this year's Super Bowl.
The Russell is also gearing up for Rummage. Billed as Detroit's biggest garage sale, $20 will buy vendors space at the May 17 and 18 event.
Source: Eric Novack, leasing officer of Russell Industrial Center
Writer: MJ Galbraith
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