East Vancouver hotel gets new lease on life as converted artist studios

The City Centre Motor Hotel is an oddity in East Vancouver.

Located onMain Street near Fifth Avenue, the brightly-coloured,lowrise motel was built in the 1950s. Recently sold to a developer, the site is now being given one last hurrah as studio space for local artists before the building is likely torn down to make way for condominiums.

The idea comes from the mind of David Duprey of The Narrow Group a locally-owned East Vancouver groupbehind such area bars and restaurants as The Narrow andUncle Abes. Duprey has also dedicated a lot oftime to creating artist workspaces in empty buildings.

He began his quest to help artists about 15 years ago when he noticed a lot of sites where artists could carve out studios, even if only temporarily.

That's how the City Centre Motor Hotel came to his attention.

"I saw an article that said the motel had been sold to Nicola Wealth Management. So I got on the phone and called them up and told them I wanted to turn them into artist'sspaces. And then that led to them calling me back and getting a lease," Duprey explained.

For the next two-and-a-half years, at least, artists will be able to work butnot live in the 70-room motel.

Right now, carpetsare being ripped up and drapes taken down and once that's complete,artists are free to do what they want in their workspaces.

Artist Shehzar Abro says he is thrilled to be able to have a place to work that isn't his apartment.

The painter and animator will share the space with two other artists and pay $200 a month, he told CBC News, as he clutchedhis plastic room key in his hand.

"Honestly, when this space came about, it was a blessing. One of my biggest challenges was affordability. Vancouver is not a cheap city. And being a student, I'm only just now starting to make money from my art," said Abro.

The Vancouver Mural Festival has also come on board to help with the project. It plans to wrap the entire motel in murals, right down to the sidewalkand also make it a meeting place.

"The exciting thing is the integration with the artistic transformation, with programmingand with place-making. It's all coming together in one exciting project," said Nickolas Collinet, project manager of The Vancouver Mural Festival.

So far, the rooms aren't all rented, butDuprey hopes to fill the vintage jointup and see it become an iconic space for a whole new reason.