Rendering of Irish Cultural Arts Center courtesy of Davis Brody Bond
Just west of the Theater District, and across the street from the Daily Show’s studio, another new theater is in the works. The Irish Arts Center (“the Center”) has blossomed into a mainstay of Irish theater, dance, and music, but has outgrown the former tenement it has operated out of since 1972. To accommodate the Center’s activities and operations, the original theater is being combined with a new building at 726 Eleventh Avenue, the former site of auto repair shop Cybert Tire, directly adjacent to the old theater at 553 West 51st Street.
Photo of salvaged facade for the new Irish Arts Center (Late January 2019 via CityRealty)
As a demonstration of old meeting new, the new building will have five new stories but incorporate the original brick façade of 726 Eleventh Avenue into the design. The groundbreaking of the new building took place in October 2018, and the project’s second phase will involve the renovation of the existing theater in to a more intimate venue. The end result will be a combined L-shaped theater that, according to The New York Times, increases the Center’s space sevenfold. Completion is estimated for 2020.
The new theater will contain a contemporary new performance space with seating for 200 and standing room. A lobby and café will present a comfortable, friendly environment that offers the center another aspect as a social hub. The Center currently runs music and dance classes in off-site venues, but that will change with the addition of a studio classroom that can also be used for community meetings. Four dressing rooms will address the back of house needs.
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