Inside the New Issue Project Room Space at 110 Livingston

We were well aware that the Issue Project Room, the cutting-edge performance art program that for years was housed in a silo along the Gowanus Canal, had been awarded a free 20-year lease at 110 Livingston Street by Two Trees Management. But since we didn't make it to last week's fundraiser featuring Moby, we had no idea what their new space looks like. Thanks to a reader who forwarded this slideshow to us, now we do. How cool is that!

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What a great space! Who knew?

Posted by: Montrose Morris at April 29, 2009 11:30 AM

YAY! This is gonna be awesome and down the block from everything . . . . maybe you guys can put the BK Flea here instead of dumbo in the winters?

Posted by: iz at April 29, 2009 11:42 AM

What a spectacular building. Almost as good as the Pantheon, my favorite building.

Posted by: mopar at April 29, 2009 11:48 AM

It is indeed a great space--we had our first condo association meeting there (before Issue Project Room or whoever started tearing it down).

Seems like construction has stalled though. There hasn't been anything done in months.

Posted by: 110er at April 29, 2009 11:51 AM

The Wallentases seem to do good cultural deeds like this and yet many of the good government types in my neighborhood -Brooklyn Heights- hates them with a passion. What have they done to irk the anciene regime so totally and rabidly? Can someone enlighten me? Did they go around setting fire to churches or something? Or are they just successful developers and hated for that reason?

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 29, 2009 11:55 AM

i think i remember that the wallentas drove out artist types form the lofts in dumbo. no value judgement here, just a vague recollection.

anyone care to confirm or deny???

Posted by: bkn4life at April 29, 2009 12:08 PM

I don't know about that but I used to live just up the street on Schermerhorn for years. We had a lot of construction going on in the area but the Walentas and 12Trees were the only developers who made an effort to reach out to the community and keep them in the loop.

bkn4life- I don't know anything about them driving out artists in DUMBO but it would be a surprise to me as they seem to make an effort to reach out to artists. But I can only go based on my own experience with them.

Posted by: bxgrl at April 29, 2009 12:23 PM

Actually, Walentas has a specific approach to real estate, which he's applied both to Soho in the late 70s early 80s, and to dumbo. He buys beautiful old buildings that are not zoned residential (at which point they cost very little), sets them up as artists studios, invites artists to these neibhorhoods with very low rent, and they by their very presence start to make these previously blighted areas feel more liveable, residential, hip. In the meantime, Walentas has zoning changed to residential, and within a few years, begins to convert these buildings to condos (kicking out artists in the process) as well as putting up new buildings.

Posted by: iz at April 29, 2009 12:32 PM

iz, I think that's it. Wallentas buys up property wholesale, slowly develops a cool buzz for the neighborhood and then cajoles the City into allowing residential developement. This steams the beans of the upper-crust WASP types. It shouldn't because although some of the condos in DUMBO have sucked a lot of younger wealthy types away from Brooklyn Heights, the proximity to DUMBO has actually made Brooklyn Heights more desirable.
I think people are looking to live in areas where there is a cool ensemble of neighborhoods, rather than just one neighborhood. That's my theory anyway. One of the great things about the Heights is that it is next to Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill, and Dumbo and Fulton Ferry, all are only a pleasant walk away and each offers its own amenities.

Posted by: mcKenzie at April 29, 2009 1:23 PM

Thanks for posting this Brownstoner. We're eager to spread the word about this incredible space and the wonderful opportunity to create a lasting home for cutting edge performance in Brooklyn.

The undertaking is vast and we need all the help we can get. We're currently working to raise $2.5 million dollars to create a state of the art facility and institution that will produce over 4,000 events, serving over a million people in our community over the next generation. Any of you Brownstoner reader's who'd like to get more involved in the project, we welcome your support with open arms. If you're interested in offering your support and in seeing the space, please contact Michelle Amador our development director at michelle@issueprojectroom.org. We'd be glad to provide you with your own private tour.

We're looking forward to a great future in downtown Brooklyn.

Marc Zegans
Board Chair
Issue Project Room

marczegans@verizon.net

Posted by: marczegans at April 29, 2009 3:38 PM

***SHUDDER*** 110 Livingston St.? The old home of the NYC Board of Education? Thousands of young people had their education ruined by decisions made in that building!

Posted by: sixyearsandcounting at April 29, 2009 4:06 PM

six years -- now it's condos, and an art space!

Posted by: bklynite at April 29, 2009 4:24 PM

Marc, I'm def gonna get in touch with you. You should bill yourselves as the baby BAM. And please invite guest curators and programmers from all over - so it doesn't become a clicky NY thing which is a tendency in NY.

Posted by: iz at April 29, 2009 4:31 PM

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April 29, 2009

Inside the New Issue Project Room Space at 110 Livingston

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