Graffiti on the landmarked facade. Photo: Randy Enochs
Photo: Randy Enochs
(Front, L-R) Uptown Board member Sally Martell, Uptown president Ira Deutchman, and Eli Northrup gathered with neighbors on the Broadway median to watch the removal of the graffiti.
Members of the 46-year old Art Deco Society of New York came in solidarity to cheer on the preservation of the landmarked facade.
A group shot of Uptown volunteers and neighbors marked the moment.
Photo: Randy Enochs
What a milestone! Thanks to the support of New York Landmarks Preservation Commission, Uptown Film Center was able to remove years-old graffiti from the landmarked Art Deco façade of its home at Broadway and 99th Street on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
The graffiti had been a highly visible presence on the building for a number of years and a longstanding neighborhood concern. Its removal allows the building’s distinctive façade to stand out along Broadway. It also marks the first visible step in the development of Uptown Film Center as a new five-screen arthouse cinema and cultural center.
Because of the façade’s landmark status and historic materials, the graffiti removal required a highly specialized treatment to protect the façade and its distinctive architectural details. Uptown Film Center’s architects, Voith & Mactavish, worked in coordination with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to ensure the protection of the terra cotta.
The Uptown has raised 30.5% of its total goal of $36M.
Our neighborhood, film and adjacent communities really stepped up to meet the challenge for our end-of-year 2025 fundraising! More than 525 new unrestricted gifts came in during the last quarter, each gift doubled by the million-dollar match generously offered by donor and board member, Sally Martell-Klingenstein.
Since beginning this initiative in September 2024, the Upper West Side Cinema Center (nonprofit corporate entity for the Uptown Film Center) has raised close to $11 million, representing 30.5% of a total fundraising goal of $36M. Of that amount, $7 million went toward the purchase of the building; the remaining $29 million is earmarked for preservation and construction.
Where Your Dollars Go
Each new gift helps keep us on target for our build-out timeline, paying for the architects, engineers, and expeditors who are working tirelessly on the schematic plans and helping us navigate New York City’s extensive permitting and building requirements.
Additionally, your donations have helped us build our nonprofit organization’s infrastructure. While board members and administrators are all volunteers, every nonprofit needs a professional team dealing with finances. So your donations are helping us pay for three (very) part-time staffers who make sure we are tracking, accounting, and complying with all city, state and federal regulations.
Finally, our fundraising success and the growing number of donors helps us unlock major grants from city, state, and private foundations.
What’s New? This month we had the facility cleaned of debris that had accumulated after 20 years of abandonment. Within the next month or so, you’ll also see new marquee banners announcing our new name. Why is it taking so long? Well, everything we do requires a vendor search and proper permit!
Preservation: In the next month or two, look for a graffiti-free facade! We also have plans to install some safety scaffolding on the interior. Many thanks to the NYC Landmarks Conservancy and the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, which are generously helping underwrite this work while providing invaluable expertise on approved methods and vendors.
Cafe/Bar: Your donations are helping shape a new go-to community spot at the Uptown, allowing us to hire Hospitality Lab, the concept development and consulting arm of Union Square Events, as the consulting partner for Uptown Café. Carrying forward the legacy and expertise of its founder, Danny Meyer, Hospitality Lab has been hired to help strategize and work alongside our architects on the design and potential for the cafe/bar that will grace our film center’s lobby and mezzanine. We love the fact that the Hospitality Lab by Union Square Events has been instrumental in developing the concept, design, operation, and menus of so many successful New York City cafes and restaurants, including Cedric’s at The Shed, Westmoreland Café at The Frick Collection. Their restaurants are not only wildly popular but also extremely eclectic and clearly focused on location and demographics. We’re excited to see how their expertise will help bring the Uptown Café vision to life.
Graffiti on the landmarked facade. Photo: Randy Enochs
