[EVG file photo]
The Nuyorican Poets Cafe will undergo a $10 million-plus renovation that will more than double capacity at its current East Third Street home, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Some details per the article:
The planned overhaul includes a gut renovation of the dilapidated upper portion of its building on East Third Street between Avenues B and C, which its founders bought for less than $8,000 back in 1981. The three top floors, now used for storage, will be converted into performance, classroom and administrative space.
And!
Construction is expected to begin in 2018 and last for at least a year. The cafe would close during that time, though [executive director Daniel] Gallant said the organization plans to continue slam-poetry events and other core programs at other venues in the neighborhood and beyond.
New York City has allocated $10.9 million for the project through the city council, the Mayor’s office, the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Manhattan Borough President’s office.
Here's a look at the plans via Rice + Lipka Architects ...
[Click to go big]
The expansion has been a long time coming. The Journal reported in December 2010 that the Cafe "is in the process of expanding its three upper floors with the help of a $500,000 grant received from the city."
Puerto Rican writer and poet Miguel Algarín founded Nuyorican in 1973 as a living room salon. As the Journal notes, the cafe has an annual budget near the $1 million mark via ticket and drink sales (the poetry slams on Friday nights remain a popular draw), space rentals and off-site bookings.