In South Bronx, the developers of the Bronx Commons, which is a 305-unit affordable-housing project, has added a concert hall, called the Bronx Music Hall, to their plans. The location for the hall is in Melrose Commons by Brook Avenue and East 163rd Street. The hall will take up 14,000 square feet and will include a performance space, a permanent exhibit on the history and influences of Bronx music, classroom and rehearsal space, and more.
The cost for the overall project is about $165 million.
The area of the South Bronx is also known as the birthplace for hip-hop. However, the area has been the hub for other music genres as well such as salsa, jazz, and doo-wop music. This development of the music hall will be able to honor the Bronx’s heritage. This is only a part of a continuous effort to erase the image of an area that was associated with urban decay and neglect.
A drummer from the area, Bobby Sanabria, will serve as the co-artistic director for the music hall. He states that he hopes that this project will bring back the diversity of musical creativity that he remembered seeing growing up in the area. Due to the many nightclubs, catering halls and dance halls, Sanabria states that these places were a place where the different types of music could be appreciated. He also hopes to see the drum circles in parks or street corners that he saw as a kid.
This project is expected to be finished by 2019.
Reported By: Amber Sanchez, Eagle News Service US, New York Bureau
