By Beverly Stephen

New York City has a brand-new tourist attraction. The Perelman Performing Arts Center, now called PAC NYC, was inaugurated on September 13 not by a ribbon cutting but by a ribbon “connecting.” The idea is that the arts connect the community, and the past connects to the future.

The building is the final edifice of the redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. Now, 22 years after the tragic events of 9/11, the building honors those who perished but is being heralded as a beacon of hope for the future and a symbol of the resilience of New York.

Former mayor Michael Bloomberg emceed the ceremonies, board chair of PAC , who hailed the building as a new chapter in the history of Lower Manhattan. “The arts are part of what makes Manhattan a beacon,” he said, noting that the first play was performed in lower Manhattan in 1732  “but there was never a major venue before.”

Bloomberg went on to praise the renaissance of lower Manhattan: “There are more businesses than in 2001 and twice as many residents. There were 12 schools, now there are 50. There were six hotels, and there are more than 40 today.”

The district has already welcomed over 12 million visitors this year, according to the Downtown Alliance. The Oculus and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum are the most popular attractions and will now be buttressed by PAC-NYC.

Paula Grant Berry, family member and board member of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, who lost her husband on that fateful day, said it “was time to build a new memory” and called PAC a “place to celebrate life.”

Governor Kathy Hochul called the building a “magical place.”

And indeed, it is an architectural wonder. Standing 138 feet tall, the cube-shaped building is encased by panels of one-half-inch thick Portuguese marble that let the light shine through. By day it glows inside; by night, illuminated by interior lights, it glows outside. Designed by the architecture firm REX, the building contains three principal flexible theater venues that can be used independently or combined. Altogether, more than 60 stage arrangements can seat anywhere from 90 to 950. And as Bloomberg pointed out, it sits on top of 13 train lines, and it was a challenge to make sure the vibration didn’t interfere with any performance.

As was befitting a performing arts center, the ceremony went beyond the optimistic words of politicians and civic leaders and the profuse thanking of benefactors Bloomberg and Ronald Perelman. There were actual performances.

“Somewhere” from West Side Story was performed by Joshua Bell, violinist, Larisa Martinez, soprano; and Peter Dugan, pianist.  “Beautiful  City” from Godspell by Gavin Creel, vocalist, James Olmstead, pianist and members of the NYC branch of the Joffrey Ballet School gave a taste of things to come.

Guests were treated to a walk-through of the lobby, restaurant, glowing corridors, and the John E.  Zuccotti theater, which can seat up to 450.

There will be free entertainment every day in the lobby.  The first public performance will take place September 19, beginning with “Refuge: A Concert Series to Welcome the World” a five-night global music series featuring a mix of acclaimed musicians centered around the theme of refuge. Theater, dance, music, opera, and film will fill the schedule throughout fall and winter. Programs will include the world premiere of Laurence Fishburne’s one man play “Like They Do in the Movies,” a reimagining of Cats, and a new multi-disciplinary work, “Watch Night” from the team of Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones, poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph, composer Tamer-kati, and dramaturg Lauren Whitehead.

Chef/restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson, whose Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson restaurant will soon feed the hungry concertgoers, and David Rockwell, who designed the glamorous yet welcoming lobby and restaurant with a glowing ceiling in undulating Sapele wood ribbons with integrated LED lighting, were on hand to bask in the good feeling. Samuelsson didn’t make a formal presentation but said in an interview that he was honored to “be part of the vision of the World Trade Center. This week will always be emotional, but we can turn the page with arts, culture, and food.” He had actually cooked at Windows on the World on the 107^th floor of the World Trade Center shortly before September 11 and had helped prepare meals for first responders.

Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson will celebrate the cuisine of the five boroughs of New York City. “I love the diversity of the boroughs,” says the Swedish/Ethiopian chef who’s now a real New Yorker and a true immigrant success story.

PAC NYC at 251 Fulton Street is free and open to the public starting September 19 from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets to performances begin a $39 at PACNYC.org.

Beverly Stephen is a freelance food, travel, and lifestyle writer and co-owner of Flavor Forays, a culinary travel company.