Walking by the old Renaissance Ballroom between West 137th Street and West 138th Street this past weekend confirmed what many preservationist feared would happen to the iconic Central Harlem institution. The deteriorating main ballroom at the back of the lobby and restaurant storefronts had been in a state of decay for some time and it seems that permits were signed off in August to demolished the entire back structure. So now for the developer, Abyssinian Development Corporation the deed is a done deal and the only thing left for one of the first buildings in Harlem to have been built by African-Americans is a condo tower to arrive once the financing happens.
Source: Harlem + Bespoke
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Renaissance Ballroom, another memory from my childhood dating back to the 1940s.