Photos: Anchorage hip-hop hub takes shape in Northway Mall.

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George Martinez, center, teaches the six step, a series of foundational moves for breakdancing, at his space on Friday, June 5, 2015, at Northway Mall. Son George, left, and a friend were visiting the warren of rooms occupied by Global Block Alaska.

Until recently, a front-facing space in Northway Mall next to Jo-Ann's Fabric and Craft was empty, stacked up with old furniture and used as a haunted house at Halloween.

This summer, George Martinez wants to transform it into something Anchorage doesn't have: A center for urban arts education and hip-hop culture.

"We have a pretty nice office space," Martinez said, looking around. "Pretty raw and alive, alive with what we can bring."

Through the Global Block Foundation, the nonprofit organization he founded and directs, Martinez is scheduling weekly events for the big room, including yoga sessions and film screenings. He's recycling wooden cabinets for upcoming arts and crafts days, and envisions a gallery where local artists can showcase their work, a recording studio for radio broadcasts, and a Northway Mall "people's library" on the empty white bookshelves.

Read more: A new hub for hip-hop culture opens in East Anchorage