The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL), a cultural institution that serves thousands of residents in southeast Queens, recently expanded its operations amid an economic revival in the area.
The city recently handed control of the new Jamaica Performing Arts Center (JPAC) to JCAL, claiming it was the best organization to run the facility in terms of funding and staff. Renovations were completed at the center in 2008, after 20 years and $22 million worth of work carried out by the city Department of Design and Construction. JPAC opened its doors in 2009.
“This is a terrific opportunity for our organization,” Philip Willis, executive director of JCAL, said of the acquisition. “We want to make it a true community institution by presenting as many local groups and performers as we can.
“We had a terrific start in our inaugural year,” Willis said. “We have a tremendously interesting line-up next year.”
As JCAL assumes control of JPAC, the surrounding area of downtown Jamaica is experiencing an economic resurgence. The Bluestone Organization will open two nine-story buildings in the area that will provide commercial space and low- and middle-income housing, according to a Daily News article. An Applebee’s also opened in November and other projects are planned for the area.
Willis thinks JPAC plays its part in this resurgence.
“Our performances can bring a wider audience not just from Jamaica but from the tri-state area,” Willis said. “Visitors can get dinner and go shopping and it will boost the local economy.
JCAL was founded in 1972, in response to an economic downturn in the neighborhood, and was established at the abandoned landmark Queens Register of Titles and Deeds Building. The organization boasts about 28,000 participants in its various programs each year, including workshops in dance, music, theater and the visual arts.
JPAC was originally the First Reformed Dutch Church, built in 1858. It was slated to be torn down in 1975, but the community successfully campaigned to establish it as a landmark. The center offers a variety of activities, ranging from music to dance to ceramics.
“It adds another dimension to what we do,” Willis said of the center’s impact on JCAL. He added that the new 400 seat theater will give them a chance to bring in a wider audience. “We can do productions that appeal not only to the local community, but city-wide.”
Willis also acknowledged the diversity of the community.
“We can try more experimental types of programs,” Willis said. “One of our challenges is finding performances that appeal the most.”
