New York City has begun a $17.8 million renovation of a long-vacant historic firehouse in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, transforming it into a permanent home and music education center for the Noel Pointer Foundation.
The project will give the organization its first dedicated headquarters and expand its ability to provide music education to young people, according to a press release from the Office of the Mayor.
The former Engine Company 204 firehouse at 299 DeGraw St. was built in 1857 and covers about 6,000 square feet across three floors. The project, overseen by the Department of Design and Construction, will strengthen Brooklyn’s cultural and educational infrastructure while preserving a piece of Cobble Hill history.
“Noel Pointer understood the power of music to change young people’s lives, because it changed his. With this $18 million investment, we will continue his legacy — transforming an empty firehouse into a place where New Yorkers can learn and create,” said Mayor Mamdani.
The project will preserve the building’s historic brick and terra-cotta facade while converting the former garage doors into glass windows. The renovated facility will include soundproofed lesson rooms, specialized acoustic treatments, a recording studio, music library, offices, rehearsal areas, a courtyard and an ensemble room.
A new elevator and accessible reception area will improve access throughout the building.
Founded in 1995 in memory of Grammy-nominated violinist and New York native Noel Pointer, the foundation has reached more than 39,000 New York City public school students through string music training. It currently serves more than 2,000 children annually through programs at nearly 50 Title I schools and day care centers across the five boroughs.
The new center will support expanded after-school, Saturday and Summer Strings programs, with instruction in violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, piano, DJ, composition and voice. Students will also have access to master classes, individual coaching, audition preparation and ensemble opportunities.
Construction is expected to be completed by the fall of 2028.
