2024-05-08T23:15:27-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150383720/frida-escobedo-and-handel-s-national-black-theatre-project-tops-out-in-harlem Josh Niland 2023-10-09T17:24:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/0d/0d743d6366c53d3070626d4ead15f77e.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><a href="https://archinect.com/firms/cover/150383722/frida-escobedo" target="_blank">Frida Escobedo</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://archinect.com/firms/cover/2249/handel-architects-llp" target="_blank">Handel Architects</a> have shared photos of their newly topped-out National Black Theatre and Ray Harlem mixed-use development in Manhattan.</p> <p>The project entails a new 27,000-square-foot theater, retail spaces, and a 222-unit residential component strategically located along the historic 125th Street corridor in East Harlem. It is the first scheme in the city to utilize the Visual and Performing Arts bonus included in a comprehensive 2008 rezoning plan, expanding on the late National Black Theatre founder Barbara Ann Teer&rsquo;s vision for &ldquo;an artistic ecosystem that uplifts the community,&rdquo; according to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. Proponents say its creation is also a catalyst for greater representation in the theater and cultural industries overall.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/5b/5b30c86213103c5050164e0d836c9a47.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/5b/5b30c86213103c5050164e0d836c9a47.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Image &copy; Brett Tiagwad</figcaption></figure><p>Construction will now continue towards the NBT&rsquo;s expected public opening in 2026. Once complete, the theater will include a 250-seat immersive technology performance space, a 99-seat flexible s...</p>