The new center is part of the People's Theatre and includes rehearsal studios, a cafe and additional community and performance spaces.
"A lot of activities and everything we do, we're going to do concerts and music," said Washington Heights resident Marisol Alcaide.
The facility officially opened Tuesday morning on West 206th Street. The project began 18 years ago as the People's Theatre Project in a one-bedroom Inwood apartment before establishing its permanent home.
"Welcome to your home, the People's Theatre Centro Cultural Immigrante," said Mino Lora, co-founder and executive artistic director.
The 19,000-square-foot facility was envisioned by Lora and features multiple performance and rehearsal spaces. Among its highlights is a custom chandelier.
"The grand chandelier contains that custom chandelier, 191 lights, a reminder of 191st Street, where this organization began," Lora said.
During the opening celebration, Lin-Manuel Miranda spoke on the main stage. A second, smaller stage bears his family's name.
"It took many to collaborate to get to today's happy moment, a home where artists and audiences can come together in community to tell their stories, share them across generations, and ensure that the immigrant experience remains a key part of the city's cultural storybook," Miranda said.
The center includes two rehearsal spaces, two music rooms and a two-story mural titled Liquid Highway.
"It's called liquid Highway. And it's all about migration and stories. It's a highway that we take many of us to come here when we emigrate from other places," Lora said.
Lora said the new facility is designed to serve as a gathering place for artists, audiences and the broader community.
"It's a living building, a place to create, to gather, to learn, perform, to organize, to celebrate and to connect," Lora said.