Community group claimed landmarking would hinder responsible development plans. On January 16, 2007, Landmarks held a hearing on the Renaissance Ballroom and Casino, comprised of two buildings at Adam Clayton Jr. Boulevard and West 137th Street in Harlem. “The Rennie,” as it was known, was designed by architect Harry Creighton Ingalls and built in stages between 1920 and 1923. One of the first entertainment complexes in Harlem, and one of the largest African-American owned enterprises in the city, the Renaissance hosted theater, sports, and private events. Prominent artists like W.E.B. DuBois and Langston Hughes graced its stage, as did the Harlem Rens, a team in the basketball equivalent to baseball’s Negro league. Inspired by Islamic architecture, the Renaissance features decorative brickwork modeled on North African tile murals and terra cotta ornamentation. The building currently lies in a state of extreme disrepair, with trees growing out of the partially caved-in roof.

The Abyssinian Development Corporation, a non-profit community development organization, owns the Renaissance. Chaired by Calvin Butts, pastor of the nearby Abyssinian Baptist Church, the development corporation hopes to transform the building into a cultural and commercial center designed by architect Max Bond. Included in the project would be a 17-story residential tower containing affordable and market-rate housing. Abyssinian would demolish the adjacent, non-historic YMCA building to open views of the Church’s spire and would build a glass arcade to shelter parishioners before and after services. (read more…)