Hochul, Mamdani attend National Urban League headquarters' ribbon cutting
HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani both attended the ribbon cutting for National Urban League's new base in Harlem.
It cost $242 million to build the The Urban League Empowerment Center which spans 414,000-square-feet.
"Harlem has always stood at the heart of our nation's civil rights story, and the new Urban League Empowerment Center works to ensure that legacy will continue for generations to come," Hochul said. "This project embodies what happens when we invest in people and places, creating affordable housing, bringing jobs and essential retail to 125th Street, and reaffirming New York's commitment to equity and opportunity. I'm proud to celebrate this milestone with the National Urban League and all the partners who helped bring this vision to life."
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and former New York Governor David Paterson also spoke at the event.
Ahead of the ribbon cutting, Eyewitness News sat down with CEO Marc Morial to talk about the organization's legacy, its impact on the community and why staying rooted in Harlem is so essential.
Morial is seeing his vision come to life. He has led the National Urban League's campaign for civil rights for over two decades.
The organization was founded in New York City and is marking a new chapter with their new Empowerment Center that towers over the historic Harlem neighborhood.
"It means we have returned home, we return to where we were founded, the place that animated and energized the founding of the National Urban League," Morial said.
The 17-story structure houses their new headquarters as they organize with 93 affiliates across the country.
The mix-use building provides opportunities like affordable housing to space for local nonprofits.
And next summer it will be home to an Urban Civil Rights Museum that will tell a complex story of oppression and progress.
The museum is set to open next June.
It took more than a decade of work to get the Urban League Empowerment Center to become a reality for the community.
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