Transformation of the Strand Theatre Coming Soon

This Thursday a groundbreaking will take place at the the historic 1918 Strand Theatre in the BAM Cultural District. The Fulton Street building will be transformed into a state-of-the-art arts and media facility. It will house BRIC Arts, the group behind Celebrate Brooklyn! and the UrbanGlass reNEWal Project, a center dedicated to the artistic medium of glass. Also in the mix: three galleries, a 250-seat performance space, a television studio, an artist performance/work space, a glassworking facility, a retail space, a public lobby and two classrooms. Renderings of the Thomas Leeser-designed renovation were released last February, although a “design unveiling” is planned for Thursday, so the plans may have changed. The $30 million reno should be complete by 2013. The groundbreaking will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the Strand building and will be attended by Mayor Bloomberg, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and Borough Prez Marty Markowitz, among others. GMAP