Hip Hop Hall of Fame plans to build hotel, museum

Site at undisclosed Manhattan location will also include TV studios and retail

From left: The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and a rendering of Hip Hop Hall of Fame + Museum & Hotel
From left: The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and a rendering of Hip Hop Hall of Fame + Museum & Hotel

The Hip Hop Hall of Fame plans to bring a hybrid museum, hotel and performance center to Manhattan — in one of two undisclosed locations.

The planned complex will include a museum, a hotel, retail space, a themed restaurant, TV studios and entertainment venues, and expects to host a million visitors a year, according to a release cited by Curbed.

The hall of fame began in 1992 as a TV awards show produced by J.T. Thompson, who wants to create the “museum and educational institution” of the century.

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An unrelated hip hop museum project, by the Universal Hip Hop Museum, is eyeing an abandoned landmarked Bronx courthouse for its location. Either would be the first destination of its kind in New York to focus solely on celebrating and preserving hip hop culture.

While the Hip Hop Hall of Fame team has narrowed its search to two Manhattan locations, they have yet to bag the necessary investment partners or funding. They’re currently on the hunt for partners for the hotel, the concert venue, and a corporate brand to partner with on naming rights.

The development team expects to acquire the site by 2017, and open to the public in 2019 or 2020. [Curbed] Chava Gourarie