The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts has signed a lease with the city of Columbus to operate the Idea Foundry facility in Franklinton.
The Idea Foundry offers artists a place to work along with office space and classes for the creative arts and tech.
CAPA President and CEO Chad Whittington said Friday that CAPA plans to add small performance spaces to the venue.
"Comedy. Music. Dance. Theater. You know when you've got an open space, almost a black box type space, it really lends itself to mean a lot of things and a lot of flexibility," Whittington said.
Whittington said that the programming CAPA has in mind are local performers and artists who have been looking for smaller spaces, with audiences of 50 to 75 people.
"I think there's a ton of opportunity," Whittington said.
CAPA will be leasing the space from the city of Columbus.
The city is buying the building, located at 421 W. State St., from the nonprofit Columbus Next Generation Corporation for a $1, said Boyce Safford, the nonprofit's executive director.
Whittington said the Franklinton neighborhood is a fitting place for the performing arts.
"We're really excited to be in the Franklinton community. I mean they have such a rich history in the arts, expanding over there and CAPA being a part of it is really exciting to us," Whittington said.
Whittington also said that it's about growing what's already at the Idea Foundry and not changing what the artists are currently doing there.
A Columbus Next Generation limited liability company bought the building at the city's request from Kaufman Development in 2025. Safford said the plan was always to sell the building back to the city.
