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Project 808 is a maker space for Chicago's next generation of makers — bridging institutional access and independent production for the talent this city raises.
Built for Chicago, by a Chicagoan
Four numbers, one story: the talent leaves, the grads who stay can't practice their craft, the tools cost too much to own — and the overseas workaround just closed.
Tariffs on apparel imports have more than doubled in a single year. Designers who used to send small-batch production to China, Vietnam, or Bangladesh are now facing duties of 40–60% on every piece — pricing out the freelance and emerging tier of the industry. The U.S. imports 89% of its apparel. Project 808 puts production capacity exactly where it's now most needed: domestic, accessible, and built around the people who used to outsource because it was cheaper.
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Chicago trains world-class creative talent — then takes away their tools the moment they graduate.
Students at SAIC, Columbia College, DePaul, and others use large-format printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, and water jets throughout their education. The day they graduate, that access disappears.
A professional CNC machine costs $10,000+ before upkeep. A full studio setup pushes well past $50,000. Independent ownership is not realistic for a new graduate working an entry-level creative job.
Chicago has no dedicated maker space bridging institutional access and independent production. The resources exist inside schools and corporations — nowhere in between.
Introducing
Chicago has no shortage of creative talent. What it's missing is a dedicated space where that talent can actually make things.
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Have a concept but don't know the machines? Work directly with our in-house artisans and skilled makers to bring your idea to life — from prototype to finished product.
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Already know how to create? Book time on professional equipment — large-format printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, water jets — at accessible rates.
The twelve machine categories in the grid above — printers, lasers, CNC, water jet, and the full textile line. Refurbished units and brand partnerships at lean; factory-new at full build.
Turning 3,000 sq ft of raw space into the floor plan above: electrical service upgrades, sound isolation for the fabrication bay, and ADA-compliant access.
First-year rent, insurance, utilities, and the in-house artisans who run Layer One — the people who turn a member's idea into a finished product.
Machine repair, material price swings, and runway insurance — so one broken spindle never stops the floor.
The opening membership drive, first free workshops, and getting Project 808 in front of the students about to graduate into the gap.
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A $50,000 studio buildout is unrealistic for any new graduate — and unnecessary. Project 808's funding model is built around partnerships with the manufacturers behind these tools: equipment donations, co-branded studio installations, and material sponsorships in exchange for visibility, training programs, and brand activation inside Chicago's creative community. These are the relationships we plan to build as Phase 01 funding comes together.
Brands could donate machines in exchange for permanent on-floor placement, signage, and inclusion in every workshop, photoshoot, and press feature for the lifetime of the equipment.
A flagship sponsorship: a brand outfits an entire studio bay with their full equipment line. The bay would carry their name, host their certified training programs, and serve as a Midwest demonstration space.
Material brands could provide consumables — fabric, ink, filament, vinyl, thread, blanks — at sponsored rates or as in-kind donations, keeping member project costs accessible.
New York and Los Angeles have spent the last decade investing in publicly accessible creative manufacturing infrastructure — funded by city economic development agencies and public library systems, integrated with workforce development, and explicitly designed to retain the creative talent those cities train. Chicago has world-class creative schools and zero public infrastructure to receive their graduates.
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From first-time makers to professional studios, Project 808 becomes a production hub embedded in Chicago's creative economy.
Project 808 positions Chicago to capture that growth by giving creatives the infrastructure to stay, freelance, and build here.
Every creative who builds roots at Project 808 is one more reason Chicago's talent stays home instead of leaving.
Local suppliers, collaborators, neighboring businesses, and institutions all benefit when a creative hub anchors a neighborhood.
A grant, investment, or funding pathway in the range of $250K to $750K to launch Phase 1 — covering facility, equipment, operations, and community launch.
A formal collaboration connecting Project 808 to existing creative economy programs, historic property initiatives, and workforce development funding.
Agreements with local colleges to extend student access post-graduation through Project 808 — solving the gap directly at scale.
Chicagoans who believe this city deserves the infrastructure to keep its makers here. Sign on, share the work, and help us build the case.
I am not pitching an idea from the outside. I am the person this gap was built for.
Updates on the build, the space, and how Chicago can help us cross the finish line. No spam — just the milestones.
Funders, city representatives, institutional partners, equipment sponsors, and corporate collaborators — tell us how you'd like to be part of building this.
Chicago Creative Infrastructure — 2026
Two minutes of your time becomes the data a city needs to invest in its own people. Fill this out honestly — your experience is the proof of concept.
808 · Chicago
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