Construction begins on Fort Greene’s newest cultural center at 300 Ashland Place
Renderings courtesy of TEN Arquitectos and Andrea Steele Architecture
The city’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) is starting construction on a new cultural center housed within the 32-story tower at 300 Ashland Place in Fort Greene. The new L10 Arts and Cultural Center will span across 50,000 square feet and host a range of institutions, including new gallery and performance spaces for the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), three cinemas for the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), rehearsal studios and performance space for 651 ARTS, and a new branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.
Plans for the center have been in the works since Two Trees Management bought the site (previously used as a parking lot) in 2013. The 460,000-square-foot, mixed-use residential tower opened in the fall of 2017. A public plaza, an Apple store, and a Whole Foods 365 market opened soon after as part of its ground-floor retail offerings.
Built by Skanska and operated by the city, the new facility will become a vital component of the bourgeoning Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District. “For both visitors and residents alike, Fort Greene is a destination for arts and entertainment,” said NYCEDC President and CEO James Patchett. “The opening of the L10 Arts and Cultural Center officially marks the completion of the entire BAM South Tower [another name for 300 Ashland Place], which has brought invaluable affordable housing, jobs and community and public space to the neighborhood.”
“This project was conceived as a new civic landscape within the heart of Brooklyn,” said Andrea Steele, principal of Andrea Steele Architecture, the firm who led the design in collaboration with TEN Arquitectos. “The design elevates the public walk to connect the community to new resources. While the exterior landscaped terrace has already become a vibrant destination and venue for dance performances, concerts, markets, and festivals; the new cultural spaces will bring critical activation and extend the public realm within.”
The center is expected to open its doors next winter.
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- BAM commissions a series of public artworks for its Fort Greene campus
- Whole Foods Market’s first 365 store on the East Coast opens in Fort Greene
- Apple will open second Brooklyn store at 300 Ashland Place
Renderings courtesy of TEN Arquitectos and Andrea Steele Architecture
