CCCADI Secures Additional Arts and Culture Center in East Harlem

The 45-year-old organization expands its physical location to further serve its local community and network of artists and cultural workers.

New York, NY - The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute expands its footprint in East Harlem, announcing the signing of a 49-year lease for the organization’s newest cultural center at One East Harlem, 201 East 125th Street. This lease is part of an effort to ensure the longstanding Harlem community, primarily one of African descendants, will continue to have access to space where they can gather to exchange, search, and affirm their roots and diverse cultural expressions.

“We are proud to introduce this new CCCADI site that will give voice and visibility to the often-unrecognized contributors and builders of this neighborhood. Expanding CCCADI’s presence in an ever-changing Harlem furthers our commitment to serving as an anchor for, and reflection of, the people of Harlem, particularly African descendants, and the promise that states that we are here and here to stay,” said Melody Capote, Executive Director, CCCADI.

The 45-year-old arts and culture organization is currently located just one block away at the landmark firehouse on East 125th Street, its permanent home since 2016, in response to a request for Proposals (RFP) issued by New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). With a mission dedicated to advancing the cultural equity, racial and social justice of African descendant communities, CCCADI’s new 5,000 square-foot location will be a home for the organization’s network of artists, cultural workers, and alumni of its Institute for Racial and Social Justice in Arts and Culture.

While the CCCADI Firehouse will continue to serve as a space to present exhibitions, workshops, and public discussions, the organization’s audience has grown, and with it the need for more space to host them. CCCADI’s Institute for Racial and Social Justice in Arts and Culture has an alumni network of more than 240 artists and cultural workers, with just under half of that growth happening between 2020 and present day. Such growth is expected to continue. In response, CCCADI envisions its One East Harlem location as a space that will bring together and provide multidisciplinary artists with opportunities to create, collaborate, present, and engage in arts, culture, and media activities grounded in cultural equity, and racial and social justice. Additionally, it will include a larger presentation space where its network, community-at-large, New Yorkers and tourist visitors alike can experience the rich culture of the African Diaspora.

This additional CCCADI site will be housed within a new mixed-use 19-story structure. The space was made available through initiatives and efforts by NYCEDC, Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, Manhattan Community Board 11, the East 125th Street Development Task Force and the developer/landlord (a team made up of The Richman Group, Bridges Development, Monadnock Development, Hope Community, and El Barrio Operation Fightback).

“We want to express our sincere gratitude to Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala and Community Board 11 for their support in bringing this vision to fruition,” said Capote.

“I am so proud of the fact that, after ten years of planning and negotiations, we now have the first community benefit lease signed by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute. It took a lot of effort and patience to keep the project together and still come up with a quality tenant like CCCADI," said New York City Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala.

”On behalf of the entire development team, we are very excited to have CCCADI become a part of our One East Harlem project. CCCADI is an invaluable East Harlem-based cultural institution, and we are very proud to have them involved in the project," said Kristin Miller, President of The Richman Group Development Corporation.

With Denham Wolf, a real estate advisor serving the nonprofit community across New York City and beyond, on board to manage this capital project, CCCADI expects to begin the first phases of development in the coming months and open to the public later this year.