BY LINCOLN ANDERSON | Updated Wed., Aug. 10, 10 p.m.: Workers dug a square-shaped hole in the pavement on Tuesday morning for the foundation of “The Alamo” a.k.a. “The Cube” on what was formerly Astor Place.
The iconic, spinnable sculpture is being restored and is reportedly set to return to its East Village home — which has been redubbed “Alamo Plaza” — near the end of August, though the date keeps changing, according to the Village Alliance business improvement district.
“They are starting the foundation for ‘The Cube,’ which will take a week or so,” said William Kelley, the BID’s executive director. “The city is not stating a return date for the sculpture yet, but this foundation work must be done first. We are close!”
The one-block stretch of Astor Place that used to extend between Fourth Ave. and Lafayette St. has been paved over to create a new plaza, as part of the massive $16 million plaza-ification project for the Astor Place / Cooper Square area.
To celebrate the grand opening of the whole area’s reconstruction, which will be completed in the fall, the Village Alliance will be presenting a free three-day extravaganza, dubbed the Astor Alive! Festival, from Thurs., Sept. 15, to Sat., Sept. 17.
There will be four stages set up between E. Fourth and E. Ninth Sts., featuring a plethora of performance groups — ranging from local theater and arts troupes to cabaret by Joe’s Pub to spoken word and schools — plus Jim Power’s mosaic poles’s dedication, a grand procession of puppets and much more. There will also be slam poetry, dance lessons and a weeklong puppet workshop open to all.
Performance groups will include La MaMa, Joe’s Pub, Bowery Poetry Club, The Public Theater, Theater for the New City, Hetrik-Martin Institute, Standard Sounds, Rod Rodgers Dance Company, Peridance Capezio Center and Danspace Project. All performances will focus on five historical themes of Astor Place, including “Theater for All,” “Alternative Cultures and Radical Politics,” “Thinkers and Writers,” “Immigrant Populations” and “Architectural Frontiers.”
