A developer has been conditionally approved by the Harlem Community Development Corporation to redesign the historic Victoria Theater on 125th Street, following a selection process that has dragged on since 2004.
The Danforth Development group’s plans for the theater, which was constructed in 1917 and played movies up until its closure in the ’80s, include a 170- to 200-room hotel, 91 condominium units, and space for community-based organizations like the Jazz Museum in Harlem and offices of the Apollo Theater. There will also be two theaters with seating for 99 and 200 that will be for the use of cultural arts groups in Harlem.
The proposal is still subject to final revision at a future meeting of the HCDC because the board wishes to assure “Danforth’s use of minority contractors, entrepreneurial opportunities, and affordable housing,” according to A.J. Carter, a spokesmen for Empire State Development Corporation, of which HCDC is a subsidiary. Carter also explained that there will be an additional meeting whose date has not been set to discuss the condominiums in terms of their affordability.
There were 11 original proposals for the development of the theater that were narrowed down to four and then finally to two.
According to Dr. James David Manning, pastor of the Atlah World Missionary Church, the process has not afforded the public with enough clarity. He worked with other community members to draft a letter to Gov. Eliot Spitzer expressing displeasure with the lack of transparency in the process of choosing a developer.
“We want to protect the integrity of people that contribute to our community with their art—we want to house our artists. We want the Victoria Theater to be a place, probably the only place in the city, to look out for these artists and make provisions from them. We’re slowly losing them, and we can’t let that happen,” Manning said.
Carter cites the benefits of the Danforth plan in terms of economic growth in Harlem.
The development of the Victoria Theater “will generate more than 1,000 jobs in construction and 326 permanent jobs,” Carter said. “It enables cultural art of Harlem and economic development in Harlem.”
Regarding the actual process of the proposal’s approval, Carter said, “It has been a very open process that has gone back over a couple years.”
Manning’s letter asks Gov. Spitzer to ensure “public clarity” in the redevelopment of the Victoria Theater. In finalizing the review of the Danforth proposal, Manning and other authors of the letter want the HCDC to provide the public with actual copies of the proposals, information about the investors, and answers to specific questions about how the development will impact the community in terms of affordable housing and employment opportunities.
“The selection was made at a public meeting where the public was invited and participated,” Carter said. “In terms of transparency, the board also agreed that before it gives final approval, the public will participate. This has been very transparent.”
One of the key concerns over the development of the Victoria Theater is the preservation of the cultural significance of the venue.
Ethel Bates, the director of the Harlem Victoria Restoration Group, agrees that the development must include the preservation of the theater as a large venue. “Danforth wants to put in 1,000 seats—what are you going to do with 1,000 seats? Even the Apollo has 1,400 seats,” Bates said. “People in our community need a place where they can be seen and heard by everyone. Where will they stand?”
Both Manning and Bates also emphasized the need to protect Harlem’s local artists from the gentrification Danforth’s proposal could cause.
“Why would we ever want to put up luxury condos in a community where we can’t even afford regular condos? We need artist housing,” Bates said. “What is a community without culture?”
The reporters of this article can be reached at news@columbiaspectator.com.
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