ACT Roxbury

CONTACT:

182-184 Dudley Street
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-849-6226
www.actroxbury.org

Dave Ellis, Office manager

DESCRIPTION:

ACT (Arts, Culture,Trade) Roxbury was founded (1997) by the Madison Park Development Corp. – a "CDC" (Community Development Corporation) established thirty years earlier – to accomplish “the physical, economic, social and cultural renaissance of Roxbury.” So far it has created a Roxbury Arts Series, a Business of Culture Series, a Holiday Shopping Guide, Discover Roxbury Tours, Roxbury Open Studios days, a Roxbury Writers Group, a Roxbury Literary Annual, and various special arts events. This Project is about the main event.

In 2000, MPDC purchased Hibernian Hall, a dignified four-story, 28,000 square-foot facility built in 1913 by the Ancient Order of Hibernians for its activities and ceremonies. For the next half-century it served as a center of the community’s Irish culture. MPDC is restoring and renovating it to be the next community’s center – with a ground floor of restored original storefronts for shops, a restaurant, ACT Roxbury offices, and a co-operative gallery for local artists; a second floor, and front bays of both the 3rd and 4th floors, for office and studio space; and the two-story former ceremonial hall behind them will feature a flexible stage and seating for up to 350, and a commercial kitchen, to host community gatherings, dance and theatre performances, poetry readings, film screenings, rehearsals, and exhibit space. The basement will house workshops and studios; a public park, permanent artwork, and performance space will surround the building.

This is the home stretch -- only $400,000 remain to be raised to cap a $1 million Project. Construction is nearly complete, retail and office space in the building has been leased to other organizations, and the official opening will be in January 2005. ACT has begun a "buy a brick" campaign by the public to help complete the project. Many people, institutions and agencies have brought this to fruition, and now there will be some coaching by the Social Innovation Forum. This is a prime, fully-leveraged, philanthropic investment opportunity to help a deeply rooted neighborhood development program reach the summit of its ambitions –- with strategic benefits for Boston. A few of you could bring it home.

(2003: CULTURE: Arts: Community)