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by: Zhané Caldwell

Posted: Mar 28, 2024 / 07:30 PM EDT

Updated: Mar 28, 2024 / 08:10 PM EDT

EAST VILLAGE, Manhattan (PIX11) — The iconic Nuyorican Poets Cafe, which has been a sanctuary for innovative works of poetry for the past 50 years, will be the site of a $24.1 million renovation project — closing the space until 2026. 

Cafe staff and city officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at the legendary venue Thursday.  

Executive Director Cardid De La Luz remembers walking into the cafe for the very first time, more than 20 years ago, and finding her voice as a poet. She now goes by her stage name La Bruja. 

“This place has been a home to me ever since I spit my first poem here,” said De La Luz as she recited a poem at the ceremony. “When I wrote my name on an open mic list to spit it was a lunar eclipse. It was 1996. April 3, my spoken word the first time was heard, and I emerged as a Nuyorican.” 

De La Luz said the building, which is more than 120 years old, is in dire need of repairs including a leaky roof. PIX11 News saw staff dumping water out of the building’s fourth floor after being pummeled with rain throughout the day. The roof is just one issue of many, according to De La Luz.  

“Electrically, if we plugged in a heater, it could blow the whole grid and we wouldn’t be able to plug in a mic,” De La Luz said. “So that’s how badly we needed [the renovations].” 

The new project will expand the cafe, making use of all five floors in the building rather than the two current floors it uses, adding additional performance space, and extra rooms to be used as classrooms in hopes of reaching a wider audience. 

“It’s critical to the identity of New York City,” said Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Laurie Cumbo. “The art of spoken word, of oral traditions, that is part of who we are as a people. It’s so important that it is preserved.” 

As construction is set to begin soon, De La Luz said her heart is filled with hope for what is to come as she looks forward to helping future generations of poets find their voices just as she did.  

“Our youth is so engaged on a screen but here they could find their voice,” she added. “It is a different thing than watching something and becoming something. Being something.” 

The cafe is known for its open mics, grand slams, and poetry slams. That programming is still happening at several nearby venues and will do so until the doors reopen in 2026. 

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