New York Construction Report staff writer
State funding totalling $8 million will be used for renovations and repairs to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem.
The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) cash injection will help pay for the refurbishment of the building façade, replacement of windows and roof, and will allow for safety enhancements and energy-saving improvements. DASNY will also provide design services and construction management for the project.
“With this funding, we’re not just giving this building a face lift; we’re making a critical investment in our history and culture,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “For nearly a century, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has acted as a library, a research institution, a community hub, and above all, a space to celebrate Black people in America.”
The Schomburg Center is devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences.
Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the facility is a research division of The New York Public Library and features diverse programming and collections spanning over 11 million items that illuminate the richness of global Black history, arts, and culture including books, manuscripts, sheet music, photographs, artworks, video and audio recordings and more.
“A focal point of Harlem’s cultural life, this investment will help one of the world’s leading cultural institutions continue to function as the leading national research library in the field of African American and African Diasporic studies,” said State Senator Robert Jackson.
