We were saddened to learn that Harlem’s old West End Theatre at 362 West 125th Street was being torn down for another clunky residential building. To offset that news, we’re elated to learn that the old Harlem Alhambra at 2118 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard is undergoing a restoration that will give its brickwork and frill a thorough buffing. Per a rendering published on the building's ballroom’s website, the team led by Jem Realty Management will reinstall its hacked-away cornices and fit in a string of glass-fronted storefronts at street level. Per The Real Deal, Midtown-based Jem purchased the seven-story office building in 2014 for $21.5 million from New Jersey developer Mitchell Mekel,
Drawing published in 1904 of the planned Harlem Alhambra, which was then called the Auditorium. (via Wikipedia)
Permits were filed to restore the dignified Beaux-Arts façade in 2016 and the uptown blog Harlem Bespoke has already taken notice of the progress. The diamond in the rough sits at the rather prime corner of West 126th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard (aka Seventh Avenue), across from the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building (Central Harlem’s tallest) and its plaza which gives the Alhambra plenty of visual space. The building is one avenue from the 2 and 3 subway lines and two avenues from the A and C lines. It is also very close to the Studio Museum of Harlem which will begin replacing its existing building for an eccentric construct by African-born architect David Adjaye.
Seventh Avenue at 126th Street with the Alhambra to the right (via the Collection of the Museum of the City of New York)
via thealhambraballroom.com
The vaudeville theater building originally had 1,605 seats and was finished in 1905 to the design of John Bailey McElfatrick. According to sources, the building has housed everything from a cineplex, bowling alley, and soul food restaurant Gospel Uptown — we even see there are three residential units inside according to city records. Even so, the building is best known for its two ballrooms whose floors have been graced by legends such as Billie Holliday and blues singer Bessie Smith. The building’s next chapter is being authored by Jem Realty and appears to bring a new stack of offices or retail amounting to 78,000 square feet of leasable space. The leasing page link is below.
Photo of pre-existing condition via showcase.com
Alhambra building on a very cold January day (CityRealty)
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New Developments Editor
Ondel Hylton
Ondel is a lifelong New Yorker and comprehensive assessor of the city's dynamic urban landscape.
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