DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — After over a decade caught in bureaucratic limbo and pandemic struggles, the L10 Arts and Cultural Center emerged in the revitalized Brooklyn Cultural District with a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, Jan. 28. 

L10, at 300 Ashland Place, is the newest addition to the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District, which hosts nearly 70 cultural institutions. A larger development straddles Ashland Place, Flatbush Ave. and Lafayette Ave. and includes residential spaces, retail and an outdoor plaza. L10 completes the development by providing a new home to four cultural organizations — the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and 651 Arts.

The grand opening gathered political figures, cultural leaders and spokespersons from the Department of Cultural Affairs and NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). The collaboration of these contributors created L10, marking significant recovery from pandemic-era devastation to cultural institutions and setting a positive tone for future city arts projects. 

The Cultural District is the product of 40 years of collaboration between the city and arts organizations. Former BAM president Harvey Lichtenstein initiated the revitalization of the area with the Majestic Theater in 1987. Since becoming a part of the Global Cultural Districts Network, organizations like BAM, the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership have continued the process of revitalizing the district. 

L10 was a passion project for many, including New York City Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo. Cumbo established MoCADA based off of her New York University thesis project, which originally envisioned a larger space for the museum, now realized in the first-of-its-kind space. Cumbo advocated for the development of L10 since her time as a councilmember.

“There’s always a connection between art, public service, civics and getting out of dark moments,” NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said at the ribbon cutting. “People are looking for the arts to be able to escape for a little while, but also as a leader in dialogue — in language that people can understand. Sometimes it’s tough to have hard conversations, but when you interject art, they get a little bit more digestible.”

In 2013, building developer Two Trees Management announced that the building would house cultural organizations. The long-awaited project broke ground in 2019 and was expected to be completed within two years.

The L10 project took a hit during the pandemic, when the Cultural District confronted COVID-19 closures on several fronts. In May of 2020, BAM canceled its programs through June and lost an estimated $7.4 million in ticket revenue. BAM reopened a year later in June of 2021. Despite the toll the pandemic took on cultural institutions, the project persisted; five years and one month after breaking ground, the space opened.

“All of these leaders [are] bringing arts and culture back, putting people back in the seats in the theaters, getting people to come back to exhibitions [and] libraries [and] giving them the confidence to be able to come back into their spaces,” Cumbo said. 

Though COVID-19 took a toll on tourism revenue, numbers are climbing back up to what they were pre-2020. According to an article from the office of the New York State Comptroller, COVID-19 resulted in a $10.9 million loss from lack of travel and tourism. In May 2023, a report showed that numbers were “approaching” a full recovery. 

In December 2024, Mayor Eric Adams celebrated the second-highest number of visitors in one year. State-of-the-art cultural institutions like L10 offer an enriching experience to both visitors and locals.

The 65,000 square foot space includes new cinemas and a theater for BAM; a branch of BPL dedicated to arts and culture; MoCADA, which includes a gallery, a cafe and a performance space; and the first permanent home for 651 Arts. 

The center is a manifestation of four women in leadership at four different cultural and artistic organizations who are “making Black history and will continue to make Black history,” according to Cumbo.

“You cannot stop our trajectory. You cannot stop the diversity that pulsates through New York City. It will continue to raise us up to heights unknown,” Cumbo said. 

Following the ribbon cutting, several spoke about the magnitude of the event. First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Williams, Councilmember Crystal Hudson (D-35) and Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Kim Council extended their congratulations. 

Torres-Springer emphasized the economic value of L10, noting that the whole building serves to create jobs, affordable housing and art together in one building.

 “The multidisciplinary space truly reflects what can happen when the best of government and the best of the cultural and not-for-profit sectors really come together,” Torres-Springer said.

Future programs will include exhibitions, performances, lectures and screenings. L10 is the work of years of planning and overcoming challenges like the pandemic.