Pompano Beach CRA Breaks Ground on Historic Ali Building

Feb. 25, 2013 - PRLog -- Pompano Beach CRA Breaks Ground on Historic Ali Building

Thursday February 28th 2013

353 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Pompano Beach

5:00PM

The Pompano Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) will break ground on another project in the NWCRA on Thursday February 28th at 5pm.  

Guests will gather at site located at 353 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd for a formal groundbreaking ceremony followed by an evening cocktail hour including cultural dance performances by Ashanti Dance Group, presentations by the Rock Road Historical Society and performances by local church choirs.

The Ali Building has historic significance in that it is a rare surviving example of the early 20th century vernacular architecture that once comprised a thriving commercial district along MLK Boulevard/Hammondville Road. According to Frank J. Cavaioli's “Pompano Beach: A History,” the facility was once a boarding house for famous African American jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway, who could not find lodging at whites-only hotels. The building is significant, as it represents the history of the African American community in Pompano Beach.

The Ali Building project has potential to provide approximately 4,194 square feet of museum, educational and/or performance space along the MLK Boulevard Corridor. The CRA is currently in pre-leasing discussions with Cultural Arts groups to use the space for office, gallery, performance and other activities.

To RSVP for this event, or for more information of the NWCRA’s projects, please call (954) 786-7824 or email shanna.benson@copbfl.com.