Historic Harlem Firehouse Is For Sale, Could Be Redeveloped

HARLEM, NY — A historic Harlem firehouse building that served for years as a community theater is now up for sale, and could be redeveloped along with an empty lot next door, according to its listing.

Completed in 1909, the four-story building at 6 Hancock Place — just south of 125th Street — was built as the home of Hook and Ladder Company 40. Recognizable on the outside for its carved limestone facade, it is all the more remarkable for its interior, which features colorful stained-glass windows and ornate rooms clad with bookshelves and high ceilings.

By the 1980s, however, the city had abandoned the building and sold it for $50,000 to a local nonprofit, which soon converted the space to a church, according to Crain's New York.

In 2000, the choreographer George Faison — known for his work on"The Wiz" — purchased the firehouse. After a renovation that added a 350-seat auditorium, a dance studio, a cafe and a recording space, the Faison Firehouse Theatre began hosting regular performances.

Now, though, the 20-room building is on the market for $11 million, along with the empty lot to its east. The listing by JRGomes Properties describes the site as an "extraordinary development opportunity."

Despite its aesthetic appeal, the firehouse is not landmarked, and the site could accommodate a building as large as 31,000 square feet, according to Crain's, which first reported on the sale.

The status of the theater is not clear. This is not the first time the building has come on the market: it was previously listed for $13 million in 2018.

Joao Gomes, the broker handling the sale, told Crain's that the building could be renovated rather than redeveloped, predicting that it could be converted into a condominium building like its neighbor, 11 Hancock Place.