Lehman Center for the Performing Arts concert hall reopens
BY ROBERT WIRSING
The long awaited grand reopening
of the Bronx’s largest
entertainment venue was music
to everyone’s ears.
On Thursday, September
19, Lehman Center for the Performing
Arts commemorated
its 40th season with a ribboncutting
ceremony to mark the
completion of its major $15.4
million renovation project.
The extensive refurbishment
project commenced in
November 2017 and included
5,400 square feet of enlarged
space for Lehman Center, a
refi gured main entrance with
new Americans with Disabilities
Act ramps, a redesigned
box offi ce encased in a glass
façade and new restrooms and
administrative offi ces on its
fi rst and mezzanine fl oors.
The renovation’s fi rst phase
began in fall 2018 and emphasized
upgrading the lobby to
accommodate intermission
crowds.
The Concert Hall’s renovation
included new seating and
carpeted aisles installations,
refi nished fl oors in the administrative
offi ces and an elevator
accessible balcony.
Separate heating and cool-
Eva Bornstein (front, 3rd from l); Dr. Daniel Lemons (front, c), Lehman College president and Borough President
Diaz (front, 3rd from r) joined elected offi cials and education leaders in cutting the ribbon for Lehman Center.
Photo by Jewel Webber
ing systems were added to the
center allowing its main concert
hall to maintain energy
saving temperatures when its
not in use.
Funding for the project was
provided by Governor Cuomo’s
Offi ce; NYS Legislature;
the City Council’s Bronx delegation
and Borough President
Ruben Diaz, Jr.’s Offi ce.
Additional funding for the
project is being raised with
the ‘Take Your Seat’ fundraising
campaign which allows
participants an opportunity to
purchase a tax-deductible seat
in their name or a loved one.
Diaz, a Lehman College
graduate who allocated
$850,000 to the project, said
during the ceremonial grand
reopening that he was thankful
for the affordable education
that he received at the college
and said that the work that
Lehman does is important in
spreading the word about the
borough.
“The new expansion of the
Lehman Center for the Performing
Arts ensures that the
Bronx remains a prime destination
for artists to perform,”
stated Diaz.
He encouraged Bronxites
and New Yorkers to continue
supporting Lehman Center
and its talented artists by attending
Northwest Bronx to test streetside electric car charging spots
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, SEPTEMBER 2 2 7-OCTOBER 3, 2019 BTR
their world class performances
and events.
“During this milestone
year, Lehman Center proudly
welcomes audiences and community
members to the top
entertainment destination in
the Bronx which is now better
than ever,” expressed Eva
Bornstein, Lehman Center executive
director.
She added that the center’s
improvements will ensure
comfort and convenience for
all attendees.
With 2,278 seats, Lehman
Center, located on Lehman
College’s campus, is the borough’s
largest entertainment
venue serving over 200,000 audience
members each season.
The center opened its doors
in 1980 with a mission to provide
Bronxites and others
with access to affordable, culturally
diverse performances.
Its upcoming star-studded
2019-2020 season will include
live performances by The
Eddie Palmieri Afro Caribbean
Orchestra & The Michel
Camilo Trio, Yolandita Monge,
José ‘El Canario’ Alberto with
Don & Peter Perignon, La Sonora
Ponceña, Yolanda Rivera,
Celia Cruz - The Musical,
Willie Colon & Orchestra, The
Musical Ain’t Misbehavin’,
Cirque Mei from China, The
Nutcracker, Forever Freestyle
14, Stephanie Mills & Howard
Hewitt and La India.
For more information and
to purchase tickets, visit www.
lehmancenter.org/.
BY ALEX MITCHELL
In an effort to spark environmental
action, the NYC
Department of Transportation
will be siting at least
50 curbside electric vehicle
chargers across the fi ve boroughs,
including several in
Kingsbridge, Woodlawn and
Morris Heights in addition to
other parts of the borough.
The four-year pilot program,
which is anticipated
to start in the spring of 2020
would dedicate public parking
spaces in certain areas
specifi cally for electric vehicles,
providing two charging
ports per space, according to
the DOT.
These level two chargers
will fully juice up an electric
vehicle in four to eight hours
and are being done in a partnership
with Con Edison, the
agency said.
NYS Department of Motor
Vehicles registration records
show that only 476 Bronx registered
vehicles are of the
electric variety compared to
Queens, which has 3,117.
“I see why they would put
the charging stations in the
north end of the borough,”
A map featuring public recommendations for the electric car pilot program
spaces. NYC DOT
said Community Board 12
district manager George Torres,
whose Woodlawn portion
of CB12 is participating
in the pilot program.
“It makes sense for cars
coming from Westchester to
have a space as soon as they
get in the city to charge,” he
continued.
Torres’ sentiment comes
in part from the 4,620 registered
electric vehicles in
Westchester that could cross
into the borough on any give
day.
“We have no objection to
it honestly,” he said, pointing
out that most of CB 12’s residents
live in one- or two-family
homes that would likely
charge their electric vehicles
in their own garages rather
than on the street.
Previously, the FDNY
rolled out a similar program
for its ambulances to charge
up without running its engines
on East 233rd Street,
which Torres said CB 12
unanimously supported.
No specifi c streets have
been determined yet for the
pilot plan yet, though the
DOT invited city residents to
place suggestions to roll out
the program online for some
months.
Other areas recommended
by the public to the DOT in
the Bronx were: Mott Haven
near Bruckner Boulevard,
Lafayette Avenue in Hunts
Point, East 163rd Street in
Melrose, Story Avenue in
Soundview, Arthur and Crescent
avenues in Belmont, in
addition to parking lots at
Bronx Community College,
Orchard Beach and the Mall
at Bay Plaza.
“It’s likely going to be put
in commercial corridors and
we haven’t heard much concern
from businesses within
our district,” he said.
As far as Woodlawn goes,
the charging stations would
likely be placed on Katonah
Avenue, according to the
DOT’s recommended map.
Other indicators on that map
suggest that much of the pilot
program will be next to
Metro North stations along
the Hudson line like Spuyten
Duyvil and Marble Hill in
addition to streets and parking
lots in and around Van
Courtlandt Park.
Will non-charging vehicles
be excluded from parking
in one of the spaces set
up with electric chargers?
Torres, who hasn’t been provided
all the details yet, is
awaiting an answer to that
question.
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