The second phase of the BAM Cultural District Plan will consist of the redevelopment of two large sites (North and South) that will create a number of important arts and cultural resources for established and emerging artists. The district will also see a new streetscape and public space design by the famed landscape architect, Ken Smith. The following are development projects in the pipeline:
The Brooklyn Arts Tower, a mixed-use arts and residential building
Theatre for a New Audience: Theatre for a New Audience will build a new facility that includes a 299-seat theatre, office and rehearsal space and a 99-seat performance and rehearsal studio. The new building will be located at the prominent corner of Lafayette and Ashland Avenues, opposite the Brooklyn Academy of Music and adjacent the Mark Morris Dance Center. It is being designed by Hugh Hardy with Frank Gehry and will serve as a home for the production of Shakespearean and classical works of theater, as well as affordable rehearsal and performance space for rent to the local community. In addition, it will be the headquarters for the largest program in New York City for the introduction of Shakespeare into the public school system, invented and administered by Theatre for a New Audience. Construction on the new 35,000 square foot facility is to begin in late 2008. Visit their website for more information on their programs.
Brooklyn Arts Tower and Ashland Center: The Brooklyn Arts Tower will be a mixed-use building consisting of arts, commercial, and residential spaces located on Fulton Street at Ashland Place. The building will contain 187 residential units, with over half targeted towards low and middle-income families, and 4,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. At its base will be a 39,000 square foot arts space called the Ashland Center, which will provide a new performance, rehearsal, and studio space for the Danspace Project, Inc. (Danspace), one of New York's premier contemporary dance presenters.
The Brooklyn Arts Tower is a result of a Request for Proposals issued by the NYC Housing Preservation and Development Agency in February 2007. This innovative building is being developed by Full Spectrum, a local and minority-owned firm, and designed by StudioMDA with Behnisch Architects. In addition, the building will maximize the use the natural light and boast state-of-the-art green technology. Construction will commence in the fall of 2008.
South Site Mixed-Use Building: A triangular parking lot bounded by Flatbush Avenue and Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn will be developed by Two Trees Management as a mixed-use facility, to be designed by Enrique Norten. Originally slated to be a public library, the new development will contain 180 housing units, 187,000 square feet of commercial space, as well as studios, offices, and performance space for Brooklyn-based arts organizations. The city is working on finalizing plans.
The Irondale Ensemble Project: The Irondale Ensemble Project has had a rich, 25-year history of producing and teaching experimental theater with a strong voice for social change. So when Irondale discovered a long-vacant former Sunday school space in the historic Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church in the heart of the BAM Cultural District, the ensemble company saw its future - a vibrant, 7,300-square-foot center for creating and presenting inventive theater, as well as for using theater to educate children.
Located on the corner of Lafayette Avenue and South Oxford Street, the new Irondale Center for Theater, Education, and Outreach will include a performance space that offers flexible seating for up to 160 people, office space, and two dressing rooms. Visiting companies will have access to administrative office space while they are presenting at the center, and can utilize a full lighting and sound system. The Irondale Center is projected to open in October 2008, which will make it the first new performance facility to open in the BAM Cultural District. For more information, visit their website.
The Strand Theater: As the long-time home to not-for-profit arts and cultural groups UrbanGlass and BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn, plans to renovate the Strand Theater are currently in development. There are several goals for this project, including the expansion of programming space for UrbanGlass and BRIC, and the restoration and enhancement of the building's facade. The two arts groups are working with Leeser Architecture, an international firm known for its work with cultural institutions, on this publicly-funded renovation.
BAM Community and Education Theater: The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) plans to completely renovate and build an addition to the building on Ashland Place that currently houses the Salvation Army. The project will include the creation of a new 263-seat flexible performance venue and affordable space for community use and education programs, while also expanding BAM's ability to present works within an intimate setting. Project design will begin later this fall.
Streetscape and Public Space Design: Based on a revised Master Plan, a Request for Proposals was issued and Ken Smith Landscape Architect and his team of designers and engineers were designated for the major public spaces and streetscapes in the BAM Cultural District. This firm has already worked on several well-known landscape architecture projects throughout the five boroughs including the garden atop the Museum of Modern Art, 7 World Trade Center, and the $150 million East River waterfront park. A 30,000 square foot Grand Plaza bounded by Flatbush, Lafayette and Ashland Avenues will provide a major outdoor gathering space and provide an entrance to the District. Additionally, beneath the plaza there will be a multi-story parking facility that will hold at least 200-250 cars and operate under a long-term lease with the City.
The Visual Arts Plaza is a public outdoor space on the North Site off Ashland Place that will link the cultural buildings on the site and provide a place for ongoing visual arts programming. New streetscape and landscape design for the major thoroughfares in the area will enhance the pedestrian environment and strengthen the identity of the District. The schematic design phase of this project is already underway with construction scheduled to start next year.
Outside of the Cultural District, several projects also contain a large amount of space dedicated to cultural organizations and exhibits of all sizes. A snapshot of two such developments is provided below.
Schermerhorn House: As part of a 200-unit supportive housing development, Common Ground and the Actors' Fund will build out a community theater and performance space, which will be programmed by The Actors' Fund. Schermerhorn House expects to welcome new tenants this summer.
110 Livingston: In conjunction with the development of a 300-unit condominium at this former Board of Education building, developer Two Trees Management selected an arts organization to transform a 6,000 square foot space on the building's ground floor into an active performance facility. Issue Project Room (IPR), a multi-disciplinary exhibition and performance arts organization currently based in Brooklyn's Gowanus neighborhood, will offer new music, literary events, film screenings and dance and theater performances.