BRONX WEEKLY S www.BXTimes.com eptember 29, 2019 2
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 ribbon-cutting 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 cooling
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
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/.
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
Northwest Bronx to test streetside electric car charging spots
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,”
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.
A map featuring public recommendations for the electric car pilot program spaces. NYC DOT
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