In 2019, real estate developer Mark Lane purchased a historic building in New York known as The New York Wire Works. Having been built in 1888, the large former factory had a long storied history, and Lane quickly discovered that it was also already occupied by some furry tenants!
Upon purchasing the property, Lane found out that the building had been home to a large colony of cats during its many years of disuse.
Unlike some who might have immediately called animal control and had the cats evicted, Lane had a very different response.
Kittyland
Lane repurposed the old factory building into a hub for creatively minded entrepreneurs and artists and he factored his kitty residents into his vision for the innovative creative space.
Lane partnered with JAK Arts, an artist who had become a resident creative at The New York Wire Works, to create a project which Lane called; Kittyland.
Lane’s vision for Kittyland entailed creating a safe space for the cat colony, which he refers to as the building’s ‘cat community’. This space would include individual ‘cat condo’ houses built for every single cat on the property.
A valiant endeavor
While Jak Arts set about creating unique condos for each cat, Lane reached out to York County SPCA for assistance in making sure every cat in the building was taken care of.
The York County SPCA helped Lane to undertake a TNR (trap-neuter-release) program that ensured that every kitty was fully vaccinated and neutered.
Mark Lane’s support of his cat community went even further than simply ensuring that the cats had a roof over their heads and medical care.
The New York Wire Works began to host adoption events with The York County SPCA and hold fundraisers for the organization.
The message behind the mission
In response to those trying to understand why he has gone above and beyond for his building’s feline residents, Mark Lane told Cole and Marmalade:
“We are happy to be able to honor these cats and give them the best chance at a long, safe, and happy life.
We believe that it is our responsibility to not just help transform the community around us, but the community within as well.
Saving one animal may not change the whole world, but for that one animal, their whole world has changed.
We believe that humanity and love will always reign supreme, and we are grateful for the opportunity to do our part in changing the world, one cat at a time.”