A new home for culture, preservation
and coffee!
Our mission is to preserve the Lower East Side’s cultural heritage through year-round programming that supports local artists, families, youth, and community elders, while also providing public access to essential services and concessions.
Endorsed by...
Built in the 1930s the public restroom at Allen Street and Delancey Street remained open to the public until the 1950s. Since then the building has sat vacant and boarded up. Now Parks has opened the door for new development, with the aim of making it a concession stand.
Before
After
Before
After
The Lower East Side is experiencing its first sustained decline in its artist population in decades and has the highest rate of economic inequality in the city. Rising rents and ongoing gentrification have left long-term, lower-income, and immigrant residents with fewer places to gather, and small arts organizations with fewer places to work.
We propose reactivating the building into a multidisciplinary cultural hub — offering low-cost arts education, community storytelling, performances, and heritage programming alongside a café and public restroom. The project will include artist residencies, a youth workforce program with Emma Lazarus High School, and free and low-cost programming for the neighborhood it serves.
Endorsed by
LESCC • Built by a Community
The Lower East Side Cultural Center is being shaped by artists, neighbors, organizers, educators, designers, small-business owners, and civic leaders who believe this long-abandoned public space can become something extraordinary.
Meet the people helping us imagine what comes next.
- Advisory Council
Yuh-Line Niou
Former NYS Assemblymember, Founder Outlier Strategies
Ariel Palitz
Lobbyist/Founder All Hours Advisory NYC, Former Nightlife Mayor NYC
Tian Weinberg
All Hours NYC Venue Advisor
Tom Finkelpearl
Author/Curator, Former Director Queens Museum, Former Commissioner for the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Ulli Rimkus
Owner Max Fish Bar & Pink Pony Cafe
- Team
Myles Smutney
Community Organizer, Founder The Free Store Project
Gideon Berrie
Urban Planner & Public-Space Advocate
Fatima Ashraf
Public Policy, Community Development & Social Impact Strategist
Paul A Castrucci Architects
Peter E Longo, Porto Rico Coffee
Community Advisory Team
- Arts + Culture
Claudia Gold aka ClawMoney
Artist
Alejandro Epifanio
Executive & Artistic Director The Loisaida Center
Erik Foss
Artist/Curator
Destiny Mata
Artist/Activist, Author
Louis Shannon
Owner Entrance Gallery
- Community + Development
Kat Lloyd
Vice President of Programs Tenement Museum
Tom LaGatta
Community Organizer, Democratic Party Committee Member AD 65, ED009
Lilah Mejia
Community Activist
Rev Micah Bucey
Senior Minister Judson Memorial Church
Ian McDermott
NYS Procurement & Administrative Regulations
- Youth + Learning
Jenny Dembrow
Executive Director Lower East Side Girls Club
David Garza
President & CEO Henry Street Settlement
Melissa Asae
CEO University Settlement
Alison Stumpf
Artist, Educator LES Yearbook Committee Member
- Design + Public Space
Isabelle Groenewegen
Communications Director Diller, Scofidio + Renfro Architecture
Juan Barahona
Principal SMJ Development
Lucy Tuchman
Senior Policy Analyst Public Works LLC
Antonio Lopez
Director of Development LES Ecology Center
- Economy + Local Opportunity
Peter & Peter E Longo, Porto Rico Coffee
Coss Marte
Activist/Founder Conbody & ConBud
Michael Bray
Owner Bar Valentina, Member LES BID Expansion Committee
- Civic Life + Advocacy
Illapa Sairitupac
Community Organizer, Democratic Nominee for NYS Assembly District 65
Sarah Batchu
Frank Avila-Goldman
Executive Director at The Estate of Roy Lichtenstein/NYC Parks & Community Advocate
Kanielle Hernandez
Author, Chief Executive Officer/President The Loisaida Foundry, Inc
Get Involved
- @lesculturalcenter
- Phone
- 347.738.8298