New York begins rebuilding historic 70 Mulberry Street in Chinatown with $184 million

Nearly seven years after the fire that left it in ruins, reconstruction has begun on the historic 70 Mulberry Street building in Chinatown, Manhattan. Mayor Zohran Mamdani led the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, with an investment of $184 million.

The building, opened in 1893 as Public School 23, was home to five community and cultural organizations when a five-alarm fire destroyed its upper floors in January 2020 and displaced its tenants.

The project, designed by the firm Grimshaw and overseen by the city's Department of Design and Construction and Department of Citywide Administrative Services, will preserve the historic two-story facade and integrate the building into a new eight-story cultural hub, with more public space and a permanent artwork by Jennifer Wen Ma.

About 51,000 square feet will return to the five displaced organizations: the Chinese-American Planning Council's senior center, the Chen Dance Center, the Museum of Chinese in America, the United East Athletics Association and the Chinatown Manpower Project. Construction is expected to finish in 2030. "70 Mulberry Street captures the history and hopes of the Chinatown community," Mamdani said.

Photo: Grimshaw / NYC DDC

Source: 6sqft