9/11 performing arts center opens at Ground Zero after 22 years

A performing arts complex has opened at Ground Zero thanks to donations of $75 million from Ronald Perelman and $130 million from Mike Bloomberg.

Perelman Performing Arts Center was envisioned two decades ago to add vibrancy and draw people to a place of mourning after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The arts space, also called “PAC NYC,” has arrived at a different ground zero.

The $560 million institution faced financial roadblocks, political buffeting and a years-long wait for construction to begin, while its designated spot accommodated a temporary transit hub. Leaders, architects, design and occupants changed.

The curtain is set to rise Sept. 19 with the first of five concerts focused on a theme of refuge. They follow invitation-only events, including an open house for Sept. 11 victims’ families and first responders on the 22nd anniversary of the attacks.

Also read: 9/11, the day Americans will never forget

Daylight filters through the Portuguese marble walls and turns them into a radiant amber quilt patterned by chocolate and caramel veins. The building’s boxy exterior is designed to glow from within at night. Its nearly 5,000 marble panels are backlit by chandeliers in a corridor surrounding theater.

Nearby, but out of sight, is the 9/11 Memorial, which is obscured by the half-inch-thick stone, encased in glass for protection and energy efficiency. The windowless design keeps the buzz of theatergoers at a respectful distance from people who are paying tribute at the memorial, and vice versa, said architect Joshua Ramus.

The arts center was built largely with private donations, including $130 million from former Mayor Mike Bloomberg and $75 million from investor Ronald Perelman, plus $100 million from a government-financed redevelopment agency.

The opening season includes works an opera about a case of racist hazing among U.S. soldiers in the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan. “The Matrix” actor Laurence Fishburne is premiering a one-man show. Authors and presidential daughters Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush will talk about parenting. Native American comics are coming together for a night of stand-up.

Development of the center has involved questions about its impact on the community and cultural scene.