The towering box of a building at 2706 Pulaski Highway once housed the historic Belnord Theater—one of the city’s only non-segregated places to catch a movie during the mid-20th century.
After the theater closed in 1965, it went on to host a grocery store, and more recently served as an all-ages punk music venue.
Soon, it’ll be repurposed with a new mission: a hub serving Baltimore’s immigrant population. Casa de Maryland, the immigrant-advocacy nonprofit with an office in East Baltimore and headquarters in Takoma Park, is planning a nearly $14 million renovation of the space to turn it into an education and employment center after outgrowing its present space, located several blocks away at 2224 E. Fayette St.
Casa de Maryland purchased the historic former theater building in 2015 for $450,000, per state property records, and has received a mix of public and private help for its overhaul. The city and state are offering $1.25 million and $1.2 million, respectively, with another $2.3 million coming from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and $5.5 million coming from tax credits. Casa is also launching a $1 million capital campaign to fill in the gap.
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
