HOBOKEN - Behind the scenes at Neumann Leathers Factory in Hoboken is a creative incubator featuring an eclectic mix of artists.

Painters, sculptors, musicians, producers, furniture makers, refinishers, drummers, even a custom tailor, all call the Neumann factory home.

Students file in daily for drum lessons and a ceramic artist who teaches yoga will soon offer classes in those areas as well.

Nick DePirro is the largest tenant at the Observer Highway complex, occupying about 30,000 square feet. A sculptor, he runs Project Studios and PROTO Gallery, providing studio co-working space for a variety of artists and musicians.

He said his only priority is maintaining affordable space for artists, however that unfolds.

"It's a living creative beast here," DePirro said. "I hope to steer (the development) in such a way to help preserve what we have. It's not about preserving, say, this ceiling. It's about preserving this person and what they are doing," DePirro said.

Earlier this month, the mayor and city council endorsed a plan that would continue to allow light industrial arts uses within the project.

Dylan Wissing is a studio drummer and runs Triple Colossal Studios at Neumann.

"It's an amazing community of people just like me," he said. "I live in Hoboken, I'm a homeowner. My son goes to school in Hoboken. To be able to walk here and be part of this community of creative people, it's huge, there's nothing else like it anywhere."

Platinum records hang on the walls outside Cooper Anderson's studio, where the Grammy-winning multiplatinum producer mixes music for the likes of Kanye West, Fun and John Legend, among others

The producer has been at Neumann Leathers for four years and says the networking alone makes the community a unique hub.

"This space is fantastic," Anderson said. "It's just an amazing creative vibe."

The property was recently sold to Norman and Bruce Weisfeld, Tony LoConte, and Tony Hector.

"The new owners have expressed they want to cultivate an art community in the building," DePirro said.

A recent show at the 5,000-square-foot PROTO Gallery included almost all of the artists creating at Neumann.

"It was a really cool show," he said.

A large-scale group exhibition commemorating the gallery's fourth year ran through July 17. "Soft Reboot" was curated by painter Rob Ventura and includes a selection of paintings, drawings, sculptures and video installations.

Brooklyn artist and curator Nicholas Cueva was one of almost 25 artists who showed work at the show. He's also the co-owner of the Underdonk gallery in Bushwick and Ridgewood, NY.

"It's great for artists in this building to interact with someone like him," DePirro said, referring to Cueva. "He's really approachable."

Rich Nazarrio rents space at Hoboken Recorders and is also hoping to keep his area at Neumann. Nazarrio is an engineer and producer, and uses the full-service analog and digital recording studio run by Alan Camlet. They offer a 1,000 square foot live room with 13-foot ceilings.

"This is the same console Madonna's first two records were recorded and mixed on. If this studio was the hub of musical activity in the area, this room is the center of the hub. Lots and lots of people meet, network and collaborate here and make their product for market," he said. "there is no other place like this around."

Other tenants include Boso Drumsticks, producers of bamboo sticks, providing drummers with a greener alternative to traditional hickory.

Aart Markenstein owns Aart in America Piano Company, and is a professional piano tuner who has worked with legends like U2, Paul Simon, Tony Bennett, Cher, The Eagles, and many more.

"This is really something special here," DePirro said.

The redevelopment plans and updates for the Neumann Leathers project can be viewed at Hobokennj.gov.