City Center Poised for $75 Million Renovation

According to a report in the New York Times, New York's City Center is poised for a $75 million renovation designed by Polshek Partnership Architects, the firm behind such renovation projects as Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Museum and the Public Theater.

City Center president and chief executive Arlene Shuler is quoted in the New York Times as saying, "We wanted to make sure that City Center is competitive into the 21st century."

Plans for the renovation include improved seating and sightlines, a restoration of the center's mosaic walls and plasterwork, and an illuminated glass and bronze canopy. The building, located on West 55th Street, is considered a landmark and any exterior renovation will need to be approved by the New York City Landsmark Preservation Commission.

The Center was built in 1923 for the purpose of a meeting hall for the Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The hall was dedicated as a performing arts center in 1943 by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia.

Commissioner of cultural affairs Kate D. Levin tells the Times that the project will bring added value to performers and audiences alike. "City Center is one of our oldest performing arts centers in Manhattan...The project will provide the amenities audiences expect and help artists do their best work."

To read the rest of the story in the New York Times, click here.

Photo Credit: Jim Henderson