Harlem’s National Black Theatre Nears Completion, Sets 2026 Opening

HARLEM, NY - It’s getting closer to showtime for the new home of New York City's National Black Theatre.

The 21-story arts and culture hub working towards completion at 2031 Fifth Avenue in Harlem celebrated a topping out ceremony Thursday, developers said, with the tallest and last beam ceremoniously placed on the project.

The mixed-use building, a joint project between the National Black Theatre and developers Ray Harlem and LMXD, has been under construction since 2022 and is scheduled to be completed in 2026. Upon finalization, it will serve as the permanent home for the longest-running Black theater in New York City, officials said.

The residential portion of the building is set to open earlier, with leasing set to begin in late 2024.

Thursday's topping out ceremony featured appearances from the likes of First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Patricia Kaufman, Assembly Member Inez Dickens and Sen. Cordell Cleare, among others. Celebratory performances included a drum cadence upon arrival and exit; poetry composed by first-ever Lincoln Center poet-in-residence Mahogany L. Browne and a live music performance by singer, songwriter, artist and activist Mykal Kilgore.

“This mixed-use marvel stands as a testament to the National Black Theatre’s visionary dream of an artistic ecosystem that uplifts the community,” Levine said. "Today’s topping-off ceremony marks the beginning of a new era embracing the vibrancy and possibility of Harlem’s artistic, residential, and business communities."

The new building - designed in collaboration between Frida Escobedo Architects and Handel Architects - features a 27,000 square foot home for the National Black Theatre, including offices, classrooms, a 250-seat immersive technology performance space, a 99-seat flexible studio theater and a set building shop to support theater-related workforce development, officials said.

The new construction will also offer 222 units of mixed-income apartments, commercial space along 125th Street and a multi-purpose living room for community members.

“As the first revenue-generating Black arts complex in the country and the oldest, continually run Black Theater in New York City, this project represents a dream come true and a vision realized,” National Black Theatre Chief Executive Officer Sade Lythcott said.

“To create a permanent home for Theater makers of the global majority! Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s foresight – to buy this block all those years ago – cemented the future of National Black Theatre at the symbolic intersection of Black Culture and opulence in New York City, providing a Home Away From Home for generations of Black storytellers and designers, an economic engine for East Harlem and a cultural beacon of empowerment and revitalization for our great city.”

Founded in 1968 by the late artist Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, the National Black Theatre serves as one of the oldest theaters founded and consistently operated by a woman of color in the U.S. The theater has since produced 300+ original works, won 56 Audelco Awards, received a CEBA Award of Merit and has been nominated for multiple Drama Desk awards.

Amid ongoing construction, National Black Theatre performances are being held in spaces around the city including Chelsea Factory, Music Box Theatre and Greenwich House.

The new building is the first to use the city’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) bonus designed by former New York City Council member Dickens, which is aimed at incentivizing revitalization and cultural growth of Harlem-based organizations and spur mixed-income development along the 125th Street corridor.

Correction: Construction on the entire building is set to be completed in 2026; the residential portion is slated to open in 2024. Patch deeply regrets this error.