via change.org petition
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Upper West Siders are rallying behind a grassroots effort to breathe new life into a vacant structure on the Broadway Malls at West 96th Street.
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Once home to rotating exhibits curated by the West Side Arts Coalition, the historic building located between traffic lanes on the median has sat dormant since 2020, when it shuttered due to the pandemic. Now, a newly launched Change.org petition is calling on the NYC Parks Department to support its reactivation as a community art gallery and creative gathering place.More than 700 people have signed on so far, expressing their desire to see the space used for exhibitions, poetry readings, author talks, and live performances from local musicians and artists. “[This project] is more than a gallery,” the petition reads. “It is an act of care for a neglected corner of our neighborhood.”
The petition’s backers include residents of The Columbia Condominium at 275 West 96th Street—right next door to the structure—as well as the West Side Arts Coalition, which rented and operated the space prior to the shutdown. They describe the current site as not just underutilized, but actively problematic: its vacancy has led to unsanitary conditions, with an uptick in rats and pigeons making the area less safe and less welcoming.
Supporters believe reviving the art center would do more than improve aesthetics. The proposal frames the reactivation as a catalyst for community connection, safety, and pride—particularly for families and children, who could use the space to display their own artwork and participate in creative programming.
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The organizers envision a nonprofit model that uplifts artists, offers affordable public programming, and creates what they call “spontaneous artistic encounters” for passersby and subway commuters. They also emphasize the value of maintaining and celebrating the building’s architecture—calling it a structure that “invites imagination” and deserves to be preserved and reimagined.
Here’s a December 2019 article we wrote about one of the last exhibits at the space.
The petition is addressed to the Parks Department, which owns the structure, and urges them to formally support the effort and take steps toward reactivating the space.
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