From the Daily News:What's left of the Eagle Theater's once majestic marquee is rusting. Signs on the Jackson Triplex advertise films the movie house will never show.
Both of the small Jackson Heights movie theaters have closed within the last six months due to financial problems. And though many locals mourn the loss of cinemas in the neighborhood, others see it as a golden opportunity.
"It has awakened a sleeping giant in our community," said Edwin Westley, president of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group. "It presents a new opportunity for us to improve the quality of life with a quality, world-class movie house."
Westley said he wasn't too disappointed when the theaters closed because they had fallen into disrepair. He would like to see an independent movie theater open in the neighborhood and he's working with other community members to make it happen.
Several theater operators have expressed interest in opening a new movie house at the site of the Triplex, sources told the Daily News.
12 comments:
Who cares anymore, that neighborhood has been shot to hell for a while now, and dies a little more every day.
Tommy Huang's new acquisition?
It's quite the opposite. Jackson Heights, if anything, is coming back to life. It has lots of young people and young families moving in. I know, I'm one of them. We also have great new places opening--slowly but surely--like Espresso 77.
the first anonymous is just someone who's quit on JH and prefers to stay insulated while the world is going on around them. They've created this white supremacy dreamworld of white businesses gone by and the death of goodness as a result.
the triplex is a gem of a theater and I hope someone will realize it and take advantage of the strong community.
the triplex is a gem of a theater and I hope someone will realize it and take advantage of the strong community.
I will.
PS Anyone know where I can get a deal on leaky oil barrels?
the first anonymous is just someone who's quit on JH and prefers to stay insulated while the world is going on around them. They've created this white supremacy dreamworld of white businesses gone by and the death of goodness as a result.
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Actually I was referring to the overcrowding, traffic congestion, illegal apartment conversions, closing of businesses eg; the movie theaters discussed here, numerous stalled construction projects, homelesss walking the streets, grafitti, rising gang activity (hence, the police command vehicles on 37 Ave/ Junction Blvd and on Roosevelt Ave/74 Street), large rat infestation, garbage thrown all over streets, and gay/transgendered persons getting attacked. But I guess it is just convenient for you to just dismiss my comment by assuming I am racist, and white, for that matter. Nice guess, but wrong on all counts.
Check out the photo. Queens couture at its finest.
Is that primadonna in the center?
FYI:
Theater architect John Eberson designed the Earle, AKA Eagle in the art moderne style.
Eberson was known more for his atmospheric style theaters... featuring blue domed auditorium ceilings complete with twinkling stars and floating projected clouds.
The Loew's Valencia...now the Tabernacle of Prayer for all people located on Jamaica Ave. is one of his prime examples.
How about getting a developer in to bring back the theatre to its glory? I live in JH and would like to be able to go to the movies in my neighborhood instead of traveling to Forest Hills or Astoria. JH has a large population (presumably with people who go to the movies) and it is also easily accessible via public transportation.
Bring back a super theater to house a few thousand, like the famous ROXY and congregate people to a central site...With a huge screen that we have not seen in ages and the ornate architecture that goes with these old movie houses. All the small guys is what ruined it anyways.
I hope the 1939 Eagle/Earle Theatre (73-07 37th Road) and the 1924 Jackson Triplex (40-31 82nd Street) reopens as movie theaters, while any future owner would respect and restore their Art Deco and Italian Renaissance architectural features, respectively. They are a "diamond in the rough" with so many theaters demolished and shuttered today, and Queens cannot afford to lose anymore. We need someone with a creative vision, and has the community at heart.
Can someone please take a few up to date photos of the both theaters? I am seeking photos of the following:
1. The facades, including the marquee and entrance pavilion.
2. Some close-ups boasting its Art Deco and Italian Renaissance details, respectively.
3. A wide-angle of the block consisting of the theater as a central unit of a commercial strip.
4. Any building components that are not viewable from the frontage (i.e. side & back facades).
5. Interior photos
6. Any vintage photos you come across.
I will give you a photo credit, since I may be interested in featuring them in a few places as part of a preservation & revitalization campaign.
Preservation-minded parties should contact me, and I will provide advice on how to restore the theaters (funding opportunities) and make it viable. This approach has been successful for numerous theaters countrywide. Thank you!
- Michael Perlman, Four Borough Preservation Alliance Corp Queens VP
unlockthevault@hotmail.com
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