Location: 235-237 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard

Date: In development in 2005

Sponsor: Harlem Community Development Corp. (HCDC)

Credits: Courtesy of Judy Connorton (top left); The New York Times (bottom right)

The now vacant Victoria Theater, designed by noted architect Thomas W. Lamb, opened in 1917 as a vaudeville and movie house. After falling into disrepair by 1987, the auditorium was divided into a multiscreen movie theater that closed after just a few years. New York State acquired the property and currently manages it through the Harlem Community Development Corp. (HCDC)

In December 2004, development teams, each required to include an arts organization, responded to a request for proposals, or RFP, issued for redevelopment of the site. Proposals included a range of uses from high-rise hotels and condominiums, to performance venues and a home for the Jazz Museum in Harlem. While the Victoria is not a designated landmark, preservationists and others in the community are watching closely to assure that as much of the original structure is maintained as possible. HCDC is expected to announce its selection in March 2005.