What's going on with SJCA? Quite a lot.

A New Chapter is Growing and We Want You to Be Part of It 

New farmers market supports local producers

Hey everyone, It's been weeks since our last update, so I wanted to bring you up to speed on where things stand. Properties Under Review We're actively evaluating lot of locations for the relaunched Hub: 201 E. Broadway — This is the original Hub building, now owned by Makan Hospitality. We've submitted a lease counter-proposal and are in negotiations. The challenge here is to get the lease down to an amount we can afford. Fire Station No. 1, 723 N. Maple Street — This is the city-owned central fire station in Argenta. Once the new $12M central station opens (expected mid-2026), this 18,000+ square foot building becomes surplus property. It's a strong candidate for a place to reopen the Hub while we develop the longer-term vision. We're already in conversations with the city about it. Midtown 1800 Maple Street — A 4-story, 29,500 square foot building on 1.5 acres with an adjacent 1.34-acre lot. The vision at this location is a full maker campus: Hub operations on the ground floor, artist studio apartments on floors 2–4 (funded through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits), a purpose-built workshop, solar, rooftop gardens, and a standalone farm market. 600 N Broadway (Diamond Bear Brewing) — nearly 25,000 square feet on 3 acres, with an adjacent acre also available. It's zoned industrial and already has heavy infrastructure in place: commercial kitchen, loading dock, overhead doors, offices, and electrical service sized for brewery operations. The building went to auction in late 2024 without meeting its reserve price, and it's been listed with Moses Tucker since. With room for a full campus that include outdoor programming, parking, future expansion. We're taking a close look at this one. Midtown 100 E 11th Street — A 17,000 square foot warehouse (the old Harris Siding & Supply building) Just north of Argenta almost under the main street railroad bridge. It’s not the most visible location, but the price per square foot is hard to beat, and the industrial zoning means workshop and fabrication activities are permitted uses. It's been on the market for over two years. This one functions best as a fallback or interim option it's available now and within reach financially. Learning From What Works  We've been studying successful makerspaces across the country to make sure we're building a model that lasts. Some of the spaces we've looked at include: Dallas Makerspace (TX) — 36,000 sq ft, 1,500 members, 100% volunteer-run. Proof that a cooperative model can work at scale. Artisan's Asylum (Boston) — 52,000 sq ft, ~1,200 members, one of the few spaces to publicly report revenue (~$1.4M). Classes drove their early growth; memberships and studio rentals sustain them now. TinkerMill (Longmont, CO) — ~18,000 sq ft, ~300 members. Closest in size to what we're planning. Nonprofit, community-driven. i3Detroit — 8,000 sq ft, entirely volunteer-operated. Membership dues cover all expenses. A lean, sustainable model. Columbus Idea Foundry — 60,000+ sq ft in a converted shoe factory. One of the largest community makerspaces in the world. Strong mix of classes, coworking, studios, and event space. TXRX Labs (Houston) — 50,000+ sq ft, serves 4,000+ people annually. Deep STEAM youth education programs. The common thread across all successful spaces: earned income thru memberships, classes, fabrication services, and studio rentals is what makes them sustainable. That's exactly the model we're building. EDA Lien Update For those who've been following the federal side of this story, the $1 million EDA lien on the original Hub building at 201 E. Broadway has been settled. Winrock resolved it with the EDA as part of the sale to the new owner. We've filed a FOIA request for the details of that settlement, including how much Winrock actually paid. We expect to have that information in the coming weeks and will share what we learn. What's Next Continuing property negotiations and city engagement Building out the new website Volunteer working groups are active in Basecamp, if you want to get involved, reply to this email Financial modeling continues to evolve — all documentation is at savethehub.org Thank you for sticking with us. If you have locations or ideas please email or call. Scott Shellabarger

Established in 1907, St. Joseph's Home & Farm served this community for over a century. As an orphanage, school, military hotel, nursing home, daycare, and retreat center run by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica, it was always a place of purpose. In 2008, when the Diocese of Little Rock announced that St. Joseph's Home would close and the property would be sold, a group of passionate community members stepped up and created of St. Joseph Center of Arkansas . In 2010, SJCA (501c3) signed a 50-year lease with the diocese, assuming all fiscal and management responsibilities for the property. What followed was a remarkable resurrection. Through the hard work and dedication the historic site was transformed into a dynamic urban farm and community hub. Over the course of the last 17 years, we used this historic place to build our community-based organization focused on agricultural education, historic preservation, and supporting local artists. What started on a single Century Farm grew into something much bigger than any of us imagined: Supporting over 50 local artists with subsidized studio space and markets where they could share and sell their work Empowering local farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs through free classes, market access, and the space to grow their businesses Operating the largest community gardens in North Little Rock , putting food and knowledge directly into the hands of our neighbors Welcoming thousands of RV and overnight visitors introducing them to our corner of Arkansas Hosting AmeriCorps groups year after year , giving young people hands-on experience in public service Growing food for the Hunger Relief Alliance and local food pantries , turning our soil into meals for families who needed them Caring for farm animals with the help of an incredible team of dedicated volunteers Building a farm store focused on local farmers and producers that grew to serve 22,000 customers a year, proof that people will show up when you give them a way to support their neighbors On March 19th, 2025, a fire claimed the iconic historic building. It was a devastating loss for the entire community that had come to call this place their own. The fire prompted a period of reorganization and deep reflection about who we are and what we stand for. What emerged was not a new organization, but a renewed one with a sharpened mission and a greater emphasis on community: SJCA grows community through agriculture, arts, and innovation. Cultivating spaces where people grow together. SJCA is no longer physically located at or tied to the historic St Joseph farm and building, but we carry forward the tradition of gathering people together, serving this community, and creating spaces where good things take root. That tradition doesn't live in a building, it lives in the work. By keeping our name we honor the legacy of St. Joseph's Home while making clear that our work has grown beyond any single place. The community spirit that defined that property for more than a hundred years is alive in everything we do.