50 The QUEE NS Courier • WELCOME TO • JULY 16, 2015 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com welcome to flushing s Flushing Town Hall: Preserving history and celebrating culture CRIME RATE DROPS IN FLUSHING Like most of New York City, the crime rate in Flushing has dramatically dropped in the last decade and a half. As is shown through NYPD CompStat numbers from the 109th Precinct, which has its stationhouse at 37-05 Union St. in Flushing and covers the areas of Downtown Flushing, East Flushing, Queensboro Hill, College Point, Malba, Whitestone, Beechhurst and Bay Terrace, crime has declined in the area since 1990 in the major categories, including murder, robbery and auto theft. BY THE QUEENS COURIER STAFF Even as the borough of Queens goes through constant developments, a piece of history is staying alive in the heart of Flushing and right on Northern Boulevard. Flushing Town Hall has been standing tall since 1862 and throughout the years has transformed from civic offices, to a courthouse, to a jail, to a bank, and now to a cultural center celebrating the community and its history. The site, located at 137-35 Northern Blvd., was given protected status by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1967 and in 1972 was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. After suffering decades of neglect and through the persistence of former Queens Borough President Claire Shulman, the city reclaimed the building in 1990 and began the process of selecting the nonprofit that would manage the site. Later that year Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts(FCCA) — whose mission is to present high-quality arts programming representative of the diverse international communities of Queens, and to foster cross-cultural dialogue through the arts — was chosen and a three-phase $8 million restoration of the site began. By 1993, the first-floor galleries and performance space was opened to the public, and in 1999 the secondfloor Great Hall Theater was opened. Currently, the facility includes a 308- seat concert hall/theater, a gallery, a classroom, offices, a garden that accommodates up to 250 people for outdoor events, and a gift shop. In 2013, FCCA finished renovations of the facility’s garden and front portico and last year an extensive renovation project was completed which included new flooring, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and also new floors, seats, risers and painting of the second-floor theater. Through FCCA, Flushing Town Hall is able to serve as a bridge between the past and present of Queens and celebrate the strong jazz presence and history found in the borough. The facility hosts numerous jazz concerts, Jazz Jams, and clinics to train the next generation of musicians. Flushing Town Hall also incorporates the community and the numerous arts and cultures of the diverse residents — particularly from China and Korea. Programming has also been expanded to include arts from Latin America and South Asia. The site puts on presentations of different art forms from different parts of the world with the goal to engage diverse audiences in appreciating and respecting different cultural heritages. Currently, Flushing Town Hall is presenting “Dance in Queens” through Aug. 13. The six-part lecture and dance workshop series highlights Queens immigration and its arts. The first session, which took part on July 9, was called the Flushing Historical Diversity Tour. The following sessions — which take place on July 16, 23 and 30 and Aug. 6 and 13 — include Queens’ Chinese Immigration and Dance, Mexican migration to Queens and traditional dance, Flushing’s Koreatown and Korean Dance, “Little India” and classic northern Indian dance, and a final talk-back and tasting of traditional Chinese, Mexican, Korean and Indian street foods. All sessions take place from 7 to 9 p.m. and tickets are $12, $10 for members, $6 for children, and $5 for member children. For more information visit www. flushingtownhall.org or call 718-463- Photos courtesy of Flushing Town Hall 7700 ext. 222.
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