Over the years it has supported a whole range of Czech associations in America. In 1896 the Czech National Building was constructed and was, for many decades, the center of Czech culture in the USA. In the second half of the twentieth century thanks to the change in the lifestyle of the inhabitants, life surrounding the National Building in New York started to decline. Over time the Czech National Building, and with it the BBLA, cut back on their activities until in the 1960s it practically ceased to exist. Since 1995 the slow process of renovation has been underway, the last phase of which will be completed on October 28th 2008. During the reconstruction a number of cultural events have been organized in the parts of the building already renovated.