A jump in rental costs at One Cottage Street in Easthampton has led over 20 artists to leave as the deadline to sign a new lease agreement creeps closer.
Since the spring, artists in collaboration with a coalition called “Art Stays Here” have been fighting for cheaper rent agreements than those proposed by building owner Riverside Industries — an organization focused on empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — which is adjusting rents in the building to $15 per square foot starting Sept. 1.
