Artists taking over Inglewood bottle depot

The bottle depot in the Calgary neighbourhood of Inglewood is becoming an artist's enclave and residents hope the change will reduce crime in their neighbourhood.

Residents say recent efforts to clean up the downtown core have moved drug dealers, prostitutes and other criminals into Inglewood. The bottle depot has become a hangout for drug dealers and prostitutes, said Gian-Carlo Carra, a spokesman for the community association.

"It creates a very unstable environment. We're confident that removing the bottle depot will improve the safety in the neighbourhood," he said.

Instead of seeing the building knocked down, Carra approached the owner to see if he'd turn it into an affordable artist space and gallery.

John Frosst, who is overseeing the conversion, said he is excited about the opportunity because studio space is in such short supply.

"Many artists are renting in dingy basements, basically crack houses, sometimes, and we have been given the opportunity to offer them a far nicer space at a reasonable cost."

The bottle depot closes April 1, which bottle picker Brian Holgate said is too bad, because collecting and getting cash for recyclables helps him and his friends out.

"It's very important, they help the environment and they're doing good for everybody, really."

Carra said he will work with the local alderman to find a new location for a bottle depot. But he says it will be tough because he's not sure who will want to deal with the potential problems that can come with it.