by Mariah Blake
NARRATION:
The South Bronx. Once considered the worst slum in America. For most, the name still evokes images of violence and poverty.
Creativity has always flourished in the area. It was the birthplace of Hip-hop and du-wop, after all. But what's happening now is different.
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Bring up Congo drum/Fade under
NARRATION:
Over the last year and a half, trendy new restaurants, clubs and galleries have started popping between dingy tenements and warehouses. Well-healed visitors are traveling to the Bronx to savor lobster raviolis and live jazz at the G-bar or hear renowned poets read at the Blue Ox.
More venues are slated to open soon. The biggest project on the horizon is Pregones new $2 million performance space. It's being built into an abandoned warehouse on Walton Avenue. Doris Quinones directs the Bronx Tourism Council. She says Pregones' move is a boon for the community.
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We see them as am anchor to this developing cultural
corridor..for years to come.
NARRATIVE:
The bulk of the funds for the new theater have come from government sources. City Councilman Jose Serrano and Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion each gave $150,000. The Bronx Overall Development Corporation is a federally funded program that aims to spark economic development in the area. It recently gave Pregones a half million dollars.
Pergones Theater is just one of the cultural projects community leaders are rallying behind. Some might argue that the neighborhood, with its legacy of poverty and violence, has more urgent needs. But Bill Aguado of Bronx Council for the Arts believes cultural development will revitalize the area. He says many local politicians have similar views.
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We have people born and raised in the South Bronx who are now assuming mantles of leadership who welcome arts as a quality of life issue, welcome the arts as an employer in the South Bronx, welcome the arts as a way of defining our community to a much broader community.
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The Arts have certainly helped to redefine neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Soho. And the South Bronx now has something they don't.
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Bring up trolley bell/Fade under
NARRATION:
To spread the word about the emerging art scene, the Bronx Council of the Arts has launched a Cultural Trolley. The first Wednesday of every month it shuttles visitors to cultural sites throughout South Bronx. The year-old program has drawn thousands to the area and helped create a buzz. Wally Edgecomb has runs Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture for 25-years. He's says he's seen a huge surge in visitors since it started running.
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For us it's almost a miraculous thing, you know in the sense that everyone was down on this community. The South Bronx was the symbol of the failure of America's inner cities.
NARRATION:
Pregones is a favorite stop on the trolley tour. Visitors say their excited to see the new theater. Pregones will begin construction will begin next month and plans to open its doors in November. For Columbia Radio news, I'm Mariah Blake.