On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced $170 million in funding to restore a Chinatown building that burned before Lunar New Year in 2020, NBC New York reports.
The building, located at 70 Mulberry St., was home to a senior center and several non-profit organizations. The restoration project will keep it that way while also adding an auditorium/gymnasium and other community spaces.
“We talked to the community, we heard what the community thought was right for the future of this crucial site, the community wanted more,” de Blasio told amNY.
The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) also stored its collections in the building. Some of the artifacts were lost in the fire, but the museum ultimately discovered that 95 percent of their archives remained intact amNY reports.
“We have the Museum of Chinese in America archives (MOCA) there. So all the historical documents from this area, all the exhibits are actually stored in there, so hopefully the water damage doesn’t destroy it,” Manhattan Community Board 3 member Karlin Chan told NBC New York.
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Restoration could provide some peace of mind.
City Councilmember Margaret Chin, whose district covers Lower Manhattan, attended elementary school in the building decades ago. She praised the plans for the building during a discussion with Mayor de Blasio.
“We will finally see my former elementary school become a vibrant community center for generations to come,” Chin told amNY.
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