" before we start talking about the building in the restoration dollars in advance. The man is the oldest performing arts center in the country it's actually the Brooklyn academy of music right and W original building was built on Montague street in Brooklyn heights in 1859. And this building this building 19 wait the original burned to the ground at the turn of the century and a committee of 100 citizens of Brooklyn. Raised the money to build this building here in fort Greene. Now inside. We have a 2000 seat opera house. We have -- or -- of movie theaters totaling 750. Movie seats and showing art and Independent films. We have the bam cafe which is also a cabaret type space and two rehearsal studios and then a block away we have the 850. Seat bam Harvey theater from. There's a lot here but what I've always been attracted to is connected bam brings in acts from all over the world. Then as the largest international for center in the country and the largest presenter of contemporary work in music dance theater and opera right now Arlen yeah. But all we do at all. Karen tell us about this building notices 9790. Donated at -- Leon and and on this building is all terra cotta it's great historic building and of course the renovation project. It involves not only leaves such -- caught up. And Sharon's that you see here on the front of the building it but the whole building the cornice. You know the New York City winters have been pretty tough on this building and we're thrilled to have an opportunity to really restore it and make it beautiful again. These guys are gonna get their noses and fingers and everything repaired. The cornice is going to be restored which is a monumental project and I'm looking forward to introducing you to the architect let's go."

" I'm happy to meet for you to me. You Heidi the architect very happy to know these -- out there I've followed your career a bit thank you and I understand you've been associated with the the the bam theater here -- quite awhile twenty years twenty years we've been a part of this building when it was forlorn and forgotten. And we've added to -- we've done everything of this what's going on right now the biggest thing that's ever happened here I think like this no one will believe. When the scaffolding comes down and the candy gram disappears. No one's gonna believe what's been accomplished. -- no one knew what was here the detailing has been gone for half a century half a century yes and help but it's more than just -- the whole top of the building yet to start there. We'll tell us about what's happening there is were leading up against pieces that are brand new replicas right up pieces like this will crown the very top above the baluster and you can see what's so startling is the color yes there are lots of terra cotta buildings in New York when you say terra -- This which is now replacing some of the long lost terra cotta is no longer terra -- present act now that the other elements of the project are. There individual wires that are put in the walls there are figures. Down below which are indeed being restored terracotta but it became too complex to do this upper portion. And since you'll see such a distance right we didn't need to replicate the same. -- what's the dimension of the actual cornice that's being rebuilt oh gosh. It's 25 feet of stuff it's really quite amazed that vertical distance of about 25 feet and it also projects yeah you can see the steel work here OK that's required to hold that all up out the be. Facade itself there are certain sections though that are pure restoration nice new work yes. And that's as you move down closer to the street becomes more and more texture of the original we've had to take down whole sections and put them all back together you can't tell. Let me just ask you one last question in terms of the scale of the -- the project and the time that's involved. How long -- and allies have been going on now."

" I guess. -- we've been discussing the cornice for probably a decade and I think that the actual reconstruction is probably about a two year project yes. And I think that it's a bit about an eight million dollar renovation. Funded by the city of New York this is their building and we are the the caretakers of -- and obviously we love the building and wanted it to be restored as correctly and as beautifully as possible and."