The Beaux‑Arts firehouse at 6 Hancock Place, long home to the Faison Firehouse theater, appears to have a new owner. According to published reports, the limestone building in Central Harlem was sold to an entity connected to the Rev. Al Sharpton, a move that could reshape the block’s cultural footprint. The sale marks another chapter in a years‑long tug‑of‑war over whether the property will remain a community arts anchor or be steered toward redevelopment.
Sale reported to Sharpton
As reported by Crain’s New York Business, the building was sold this week to a buyer tied to Rev. Al Sharpton. Crain’s described the transfer as the latest twist in a long-running saga around the property, which has attracted both preservationist interest and attention from developers.
Faison Firehouse’s long arc
The four‑story Beaux‑Arts structure was purchased and renovated by Tony Award winner George Faison in 1999 and has operated for decades as the Faison Firehouse Theater, hosting performances, classes and community programs. The property has been marketed in several different formats, sometimes offered by itself and sometimes bundled with the adjacent vacant lot, as brokers floated both cultural uses and residential or mixed‑use redevelopment. Listing pages and neighborhood coverage outline the building’s theater space, high ceilings and unused air rights; see CityRealty and the broker posting on LoopNet for listing details…