Workshop Houston’s Capital Campaign
Thanks to the support and generosity of the Houston community, Workshop Houston has made an incredible amount of progress in our Capital Campaign. We have fully renovated and reopened the Bike and Chopper Shops at 3615 Sauer Street and completed renovations next door at 3529 Sauer, as well. This building is the permanent home of the Style and Scholar Shops, and is currently also housing the Beat Shop and Workshop Houston’s offices. Next and last will be the completion of 3531 Sauer, the permanent Beat Shop studio and office location. During the course of the Campaign, Workshop Houston’s campus has become a vibrant center of activity and community for the Third Ward.
In summer of 2006, Workshop Houston unexpectedly lost its original space and had to move. This was a trying time, but we were motivated by our responsibility to the youth and adults who have come to rely on the organization and who have put so much into it. We decided to purchase a permanent home to ensure Workshop Houston will be a part of the lives of our participants well into the future. After searching the neighborhood, we found ideal new location to continue our work at 3529, 3531 and 3615 Sauer Street, and launched our Capital Campaign to pay for its purchase and renovation.
Our new site has 5,650 square feet of indoor space and nearly 10,000 square feet of land - plenty of space for our current programs, and to expand in coming years. The campus is comprised of two adjacent properties: a former pool hall (3615 Sauer) which houses the Bike and Chopper Shops, and a lot which holds two residential fourplexes (3529 and 3531 Sauer) that are being converted into studio spaces for the other programs. The new location is within blocks of Blackshear Elementary School, Ryan Middle School, and Yates High School, which most of our participants attend. The Columbia Tap Trail, a new bike path that will connect downtown to Hermann Park, runs directly behind the site.
In order to move as quickly as possible, we signed leases for the properties in September of 2006 so we could immediately begin renovations. At the same time, we signed option contracts for their purchase. We simultaneously began renovating the buildings so that we could reopen our programs and raising the money for the project. The properties, though in better condition than many others we looked at, were in poor shape. We have worked to make our new spaces safe, comfortable, and accessible for our participants. We opened the new Bike and Chopper Shop in January of 2007. In summer of 2008, we completed renovations on 3529 Sauer and opened the Style, Beat and Scholar Shops in the building. We are now turning our attention to 3531 Sauer.
 |
 |
Funds for the Capital Campaign have been raised through a combination of foundation grants, fundraisers, and individual and corporate support. We have raised nearly all the funds we need to complete the project and are now concentrating on raising funds to operate our programs. Thank you to everyone has supported the Campaign through monetary donations, in-kind contributions, or volunteering your time. With your help, Workshop Houston was able to overcome significant obstacles and emerge in a stronger and more stable position, allowing us to better serve our participants.
In addition to all the other progress made on our campus, in January of 2009, Green Mountain Energy’s Big Texas Sun Club and Standard Renewable Energy contributed a 2.26 kW solar array to Workshop Houston. Learn more about this exciting development for Workshop Houston here!
