Mamdani Begins Reconstruction of Historic Chinatown Building Decimated in 2020 Fire
Some $184 million will go toward the revival of 70 Mulberry Street, which once housed community-based organizations.
On Monday, November 9, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, alongside commissioners from the departments of design and construction, citywide administrative services, and cultural affairs, initiated the $184 million reconstruction of 70 Mulberry Street, a historically significant building severely damaged by a fire in 2020. Once completed in 2030, this project will provide additional space or housing for the five community organizations that previously operated there, notably the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA).
The new structure will incorporate artist Jennifer Wen Ma's permanent, three-part art installation, "Wings of Everchange 易之翼," commissioned by the Department of Cultural Affairs’ (DCLA) Percent for Art program.
Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the reconstructed building will retain elements of the original 1892 building's architecture but will expand to six community rooms, multipurpose areas, outdoor spaces, and modern facilities. The renovation aims to offer about 30% more public space and extend three floors higher than the original.
Established as Public School 23 in 1892, the building later transformed into a community center in the mid-1970s. Following the 2020 fire, MOCA, which had relocated to its 215 Centre Street flagship in 2009, retained the old gallery space at 70 Mulberry Street as an archival area for its extensive collection, salvaged from the fire.
With a $35 million city capital grant, MOCA has faced criticism for accepting "jail money," funding tied to the construction of a Chinatown jail, amid concerns over potential damage to Chinatown's community. Ma's installation, set to be unveiled, will reflect the historical significance of the Mulberry Street site in three ways.
The central sculpture in the atrium will mimic Chinese calligraphy brushstrokes and include materials from the 2020 fire. It will contain glass orbs symbolizing individuals or groups affected by the building's history. Additionally, Ma plans to create a public website and app featuring oral testimonies from 70 community members about the building's past.
The third element extends to the historic spiral stairwell, featuring ink paintings on glass panels throughout the stair tower. The New York City Public Design Commission approved Ma's design in January 2024 as part of the Percent for Art program, which allocates 1% of eligible funds for city-funded construction projects to public artworks.
Ma expressed her intentions, stating, "Our community has gone through so many challenges and changes. I set out to make a work that would embrace these changes, honoring our history, anchoring us in the present and taking us soaring into the future."
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