Terraza 7 (QueensPost)
Jan. 16, 2018 By Christian Murray
The local bar and music venue Terraza 7, which was expected to close last year to make way for a 7-story development, is likely to remain where it is for many years to come.
The bar, which has hosted live music at its 40-19 Gleane St. location since opening in 2002, was expected to close last year when its lease ended so the property could be demolished.
Freddy Castiblanco, the owner of Terraza 7, said Tuesday that property owner Charles Guo told him that he wasn’t going to develop the site–or sell the building–and would be offering him a new lease in the next week.
“I’ve been operating on a month to month lease,” Castiblanco said. “I’m expecting a new lease that could be 5 years. It looks likely I will be here for many years.”
The building that Terraza 7 occupies is part of a structure that includes stores on 84-02 Roosevelt Ave. Those stores are currently empty but the Guo is likely to find new tenants.
Guo, in a phone call, confirmed that he planned on refurbishing the building and keeping Terraza 7 at its current location. However, he added, “I’m keeping my options open.”
In 2016 when it looked as though Terraza 7 was closing, nearly 1,000 people signed a petition calling on the landlord to save it or for the community to help Castiblanco find a new location. Several patrons wrote heartfelt comments about the establishment when they signed it.
“Terraza is a critical arts space in this community and has been an important resource for so many of us over the years,” one signee, Soniya Munshi, wrote at the time. “At Terraza, I’ve seen amazing musicians, heard wonderful stories, learned about current events and spent long hours with friends—there is no other place like it in Jackson Heights.”
Others echoed that sentiment.
“Terraza 7 is Jackson Heights,” Kate Adams wrote at the time. “We can’t lose this very special place.”
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5 Comments
Viva Terraza!
“Terraza 7 is Jackson Heights,”
–Although, it is technically in Elmhurst, right?
Hi Everyone,
Feel free to watch the trailer of the award winner “Terraza 7” documentary. And to check our facebook page for upcoming screenings in festivals.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/terraza7thefilm/?ref=settings
Trailer:
https://vimeo.com/240673374
Enjoy!
Terazza needs to renovate its space for safety reasons. Its staircase is too winding and the upstairs stage does not have a real floor. This could have tragic consequences.
Huge! Wonderful! Thanks so much to JHP for staying on this story about a neighborhood standby that is so beloved, and please do post an update if/when that lease is signed and it’s certain that Terraza 7 is really staying. Hoping this is for real!