Fort Worth\u2019s SiNaCa Studios is officially moving to Arlington after council members approved a 10-year downtown lease<\/a> and up to $1 million in financial support this week.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the vote led an existing glass art studio to say the city is giving an unfair advantage to outside organizations over local businesses.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Darren Hensley, co-owner of Grey Area Studio, told council members on Sept. 29 that the city\u2019s investment negatively impacts his Arlington glass art business. The 10-year-old organization hosts similar workshops, gallery sales and community programming less than 3 miles west of SiNaCa\u2019s new 14,000-square-foot home at 300 W. Front St.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cArlington, doesn\u2019t need another glass studio,\u201d Hensley told city council members. \u201cIt needs to stand by its core principles of empowering local businesses that have invested in the city in order to help those businesses thrive and gain visibility. \u2026 We welcome competition. We just never expected Arlington would be that competition.\u201d<\/p>\n Arlington City Council voted 5-3 to approve SiNaCa\u2019s lease agreement with members Mauricio Galante, Nikkie Hunter and Tom Ware against it.<\/p>\n Breinn Richter, executive director of SiNaCa, said the nonprofit is committed to partnering with Grey Area in the future. The studios previously collaborated<\/a> to bring the Glass Art Society International Conference to North Texas last year.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are other cities across the country where there are multiple glass studios all serving to advance the arts, and that is definitely the stance that we are taking,\u201d Richter said.<\/p>\n Grey Area co-owner Josh Yunker believes the city\u2019s decision was made \u201chastily and irresponsibly\u201d without analyzing the long-term effects on the competitive market.\u00a0<\/p>\n The business is open to collaboration with SiNaCa, but it\u2019s unclear what that looks like at the moment, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe harbor no ill feelings towards SiNaCa, they\u2019ve always been our friends,\u201d Yunker said. \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019ll be a blessing in disguise.\u201d<\/p>\n Richter said SiNaCa officials reached out to Grey Area when conversations regarding the potential Arlington move began about a year ago. However, Yunker said Grey Area heard bits of information regarding the plans \u201cthrough the grapevine\u201d a few months ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n From the dais, Mayor Jim Ross said he plans to visit Grey Area to discuss the best ways to help the business, but emphasized the two glass art studios operate differently.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe love that you\u2019ve been here in Arlington,\u201d Ross said to Yunker. \u201cWe want to make sure that we don\u2019t ignore you on things. And I think we can get to some type of area where we\u2019re all feeling better. \u2026 We may never totally agree, but that\u2019s OK.\u201d<\/p>\n Council member Jason Shelton empathized with Grey Area\u2019s concerns, but noted SiNaCa\u2019s relocation is a net positive for Downtown Arlington\u2019s development.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe greater good here is that we are trying to build a sense of community and activities and events that involve the arts,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Galante, who voted against the proposal, believes city officials need to support local small businesses and should\u2019ve had more weeks to consider the lease agreement. Hunter said SiNaCa will be a great Arlington asset, but that her primary concern was maintaining a fair playing field for all businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although Ware voted against the lease, he challenged the SiNaCa team to prove him wrong by creating a collaborative environment that makes Arlington the glass art capital of Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n As part of the agreement, SiNaCa is required to partner with Arlington\u2019s Parks, Recreation & Culture Department to develop community camps and create custom glass art for city facilities. The agreement also requires the nonprofit to invest its own $1 million<\/a> into the West Front Street property.\u00a0<\/p>\n Richter previously told the Report that the studio\u2019s team will \u201chit the ground running\u201d to renovate the property for a late summer 2027 reopening. The nonprofit will continue to operate its workshops, classes and shows at its Fort Worth location through the end of its lease on Jan. 31.\u00a0<\/p>\n David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n