Around Christmas, the news broke that 696 Weihai Lu, an arts complex on Weihai between Shaanxi and Maoming, would be closing to make room for a "new Xintiandi." Shudder, horror indeed. In late January, Helen Shi interviewed one half of 696 gallery AroundSpace's owners, Ming Ming Chen, who told us "We won’t move until they knock on our door."

Shanghai arts blog Bound Editorial recently conducted their own AroundSpace interview, this time with both Ming Ming and her husband, Jeff Zou. Below, an excerpt:

The complex has been dogged by rumors of impending development since you moved in. So why does it seem more real this time?
Jeff: Because this time the holding company sold the property to the Jing’an District government. Now 696 is part of the plan to develop Weihai Lu; it’s not a situation unique to our complex. A wide gap exists between the property prices of Nanjing Road and Weihai Road. The city will use the concept behind Xintiandi in Luwan district by rebuilding Jing’an Villas, the shikumen lane connecting the two roads (entrances are located at 1025 Nanjing Road and 650 Weihai Road). By using Jing’an Villa to connect the two streets, they hope to turn Weihai Lu into an extension of Nanjing Road.

The city wants to position the area as an international media district because at one end of Weihai Lu is the Shanghai Television Station, and Wenxin Publishing Group, the biggest newspaper group here, is located at the other end.

It’s not just little 696, this space is part of a big whole project.

Is it any consolation that it’s not the underground art community being targeted?
Jeff: It doesn’t feel better, but I understand. Sooner or later, they gotta do what they gotta do. It belongs to a big project.

Ming Ming: We really accept the fact, but I’m nervous about all that we need to do to move and the fact that we won’t be able to find such a nice big space downtown. It would be impossible.

The full interview is excellent and full of revealing details. You can read the entire thing here.

•Check back for more updates on AroundSpace and what's happening to the galleries in 696.

•Bound Editorial will be holding an event with New York-based artist Seldon Yuan at AroundSpace on March 26th. Full details are here.

The above photo is a portrait of Jeff Zou and Ming Ming Chen by artist Maleonn and is courtesy of the artist and Bound Editorial.