Community, Arts and Culture

Though not visible from the street, the building’s lowest level is perhaps the most used—and the level that sustained the most damage from the water main break. Total devastation effectively gave restoration planners a clean slate, with the opportunity to reconceive the space based on nearly fifty years of use as well as a broad vision for the future. Guided by an array of experts including theater consultants, musicians, acousticians, and program and community directors, an impressive, nearly half city block is dedicated to a Center for Community, Arts and Culture.

This Center will be a dynamic public space—a limited resource in Midtown—that will expand and enable a rich array of programs and resources: from rehearsal spaces for musicians, to breakout rooms for community service programming, to performance spaces for small and large ensembles, to a flexible theater for plays, recitals, readings, and presentations. ESL (English as a Second Language) classes and immigration clinics will be as at home here as jazz musicians have been for decades. Theater and dance groups will have an array of resources for production, just as interfaith and non-religious events will be able to take shape.

Architecturally, this Center for Community, Arts and Culture will mirror the upper levels, providing a welcoming and functional atmosphere.

PHASE ONE

Phase One restores a medium-sized Recital Hall, which also functions as a dance studio and a larger-scale rehearsal space. Three acoustically isolated studios for rehearsal and teaching form the core of the Jazz Suite. New general, gender-neutral and family restrooms will be built. An egress corridor will connect these two environments until funding for the Black Box Theater and The Loft is secured.

The completion of Phase One will help meet increased demand for affordable, community-oriented performance and rehearsal spaces. A variety of community partners are already prepared to begin programming as soon as construction is complete, estimated to be summer 2027.

FUTURE PHASE

Future phases will offer a home for musicians, dancers, visual artists and neighborhood partners and expand opportunities for creativity, learning and cultural exchange. The new facilities will support a wide range of community organizations and emerging artists, enriching the cultural and civic life of New York City for generations to come.

YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

Your gift in support of the Center for Community, Arts and Culture enables rebuilding the lowest level of Saint Peter’s. The Center’s black box theatre, rehearsal and studio spaces, and community room will offer dedicated arts and culture program space.

Please email Rebekah Thornhill, For the Future Campaign Manager, with any budget and giving inquiries.