From the Times Ledger:The owner of the crumbling RKO Keith’s Theatre in downtown Flushing still owes more than $380,000 in unpaid back taxes and entered into a payment plan earlier this year to prevent the city from putting a lien on the property.
Developer Patrick Thompson is seeking to build a 16-story, mixed-use building around the landmarked lobby of the historic theater, at 135-35 Northern Blvd., and is trying to secure finances to get a shovel in the ground at the site of the $160 million project.
In March, TimesLedger Newspapers reported Thompson owed the city Department of Finance nearly $400,000 for 2011 unpaid property taxes. In April, Thompson entered into a payment plan in order to balance the books. At that time, he owed about $373,600, according to Finance.
But the most current records show Thompson still owes about $385,000 — which is actually $11,500 more than the initial balance when he entered into the agreement, according to department records.
“He’s on the way to paying it,” said Michael Nussbaum, spokesman for Thompson.
According to the department, if the developer had not entered into a payment plan before May 17, the city would have placed the property on its tax lien sale list, meaning that a third party could have potentially taken possession of the land.
13 comments:
A history of tax deadbeats and decay--
the shameful saga continues
with the Keith's current owner de jour,
Patrick Thompson.
This past Labor Day we "celebrated" yet another anniversary since the Keith's was first sold to that criminal developer Tommy Huang back in 1986.
I think that we are all still quite curious as to why Michael Nussbaum--a close associate of the late Donald Manes--is "representing" Mr. Thompson.
Let us be reminded
that it was Donald Manes and his apt protege
Claire Shulman who are
REALLY RESPONSIBLE for the Keith's demise.
THEY REFUSED TO SUPPORT
LANDMARK STATUS FOR ITS FULL INTERIOR--
as the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission had confirmed to us.
IT WAS THEY who left this historic gem
at the mercy of greedy, rapacious developers!
Then the opportunist Tommy Huang came along
and merely followed his own crooked instincts by hammering away at the auditorium--
leaving it in shambles.
One can only guess at how long NYC will allow Thompson to default on his tax payments,
until yet another buyer comes along.
Meanwhile in Brooklyn,
Borough President Marty Markowitz has long supported the restoration of the historic
Loew's Kings Theater which is expected to be completed soon.
Therein lies the great difference
between Brooklyn and Queens.
Brooklyn has pride in its architectural heritage,
while Queens is salted with short sighted crooks--from the low ranking community boards--on up to borough hall!
Our borough is viewed by them as land which can be "developed-- in exchange for campaign contributions and patronage job appointments.
Markowitz was always a great supporter of the Loew's Kings--while Manes and Shulman were intent on the RKO Keith's destruction.
If anyone wishes to see what the Shul-Manes
administration's legacy is to Queens--Chris Kellberg has posted a galley of photos online--depicting the Keith's interior as it exists today.
Thank you Chris, for creating this valuable archive.
And chairman Gene Kelty...
is doing exactly what at CB#7...
while all of this crap is going on?
At least "follow the buck" Chuck Apelian manages to feign some interest in the affairs of Flushing.
He's even secured some very lucrative printing contracts from developers for his company, "Presstone",
in the meantime.
Tommy Huang:
"Donald Manes told me to buy this building".
Claire Shulman:
"Hasn't he (Tommy Huang) suffered enough?
He hasn't been able to build (on the Keith's site)".
The much touted "rebirth" of Flushing,
in reality, is one big failure.
Donald Manes saw to that from the get-go when he took all the money ear marked for Flushing and poured it into Jamaica (which is another big failure).
Then "the crew" (CB#7, etc.) all went to Taiwan to find investors for Flushing!
Enter Tommy Huang and his tong and the rest is history.
The RKO could have been the cornerstone for that "revitalization" 30 years ago, but that won't be happening in "Chinatown".
The Keith's will , most likely,
continue to rot for another 2-3 years.
Thompson will never find any investors or partners
to help him build that big ugly tower.
The world economy sucks!
Overseas Chinese appear to be slackening their investments in over priced Flushing,
in favor of other parts of the world.
The "Flushing Commons" replacement of Muni lot #1 project is going nowhere.
Eventually even the landmark ticket lobby and grand foyer could be unlandmarked, because of deterioration and the general internal toxic conditions growing within the building.
Leonard Price Stavisky,
RE the Keith's at a public (photo op) rally,1987:
"I am with you because your cause is just".
Where is Toby Ann Stavisky?
If any of you need to lift your spirits,
take the opportunity to treat yourself
to a really great entertainment experience
for only about a $10 admission fee!
The doors of the historic landmark movie palace,
the Loew's Jersey "wonder theater" in Jersey City, New Jersey--are open once again--following a brief summer closure.
No doubt, they will be presenting a Halloween weekend extravaganza similar to last year's.
Maybe a classic silent horror movie
will be shown on their 50 foot screen with live pipe organ accompanyment.
Who needs downtown Flushing, Queens anymore?
Just board the PATH Line.
Exit about 25 minutes later at Journal Square,
and the Loew's is right across the street.
I urge you all to go and see what Flushing might have had--save for the greed of a pair of corrupt lawmakers and their associates in crime.
Will you just look at how much everybody
(especially those running for political office)
simply "LOVES" the Keith's to death!
Then, WHY does it still look like SHIT?
Calling all of you dullard pols out there!
How about supporting invoking eminent domain...
to take the site for the common good for a change.
Then refurbish it into something far more useful
than somebody's phallic tower of an ego monster?
The residential market is in the toilet.
Flushing is glutted with unrented and unsold duds like Sky View Parc and Queens Crossing.
So, what is to be lost except some money?
This site is not doing anyone any good as it is.
RU reading all of this stuff "Nussie" and company?
I wonder...what is Nussbaum's fee
for the PR hand job he's doing for Thompson?
Do you think that Thompson is just a 'White boy" front for who knows who in the Orient?
That property will wind up either being flipped
or foreclosed on.
Is anyone giving odds on those possibilities?
Maybe that 3rd party will be a Tommy Huang company.
FYI:
After contacting NYS Senator Toby Stavisky's office regarding breaches in the Keith's that needed to be sealed against unwanted entry--an official letter was sent to the owner requesting that this be done PDQ.
NYC Councilman Peter Koo's office was also
immediately on that case after being contacted.
Those breaches were then sealed.
We've already thanked them for their assistance.
There have been some suggestions floating around town, that Michael Nussbaum has a part of the deal.
I strongly doubt it.
Nussbaum was always a "pimp"....
not a mover of shaker.
The news media referred to him in the past
as simply "...Donald Manes' bag man....".
"Nussie" really doesn't have the Moxie
to be a big player in any kind of game.
He's just a toll collector.
Somebody really big owns the bridge!
You say a 3rd party takeover...
dum, da dum dum (old "Dragnet" TV theme)...
a Tommy Huang shell company, perhaps?
It's got to be an Asian holder.
Who else would be interested in Flushing?
I'll bet that CB#7's Chuck Apelian and
Wellington Chen know more than they will ever tell.
Apparently,
a film noir still flickers in the darkened ruins
of the Keith's.
Played on a zither:
"La, la, la, la, la....la, la. Repeat theme"
It sounds like an Orson Welles film.
Isn't there ALWAYS a 3rd man in any shady deal?
I'll bet that Thompson has been just a front man,
with no real big money of his own!
Google Patrick Thompson and see what turns up...
all very mysterious...and it has to be if Nussbaum
and/or the Q Trib are involved.
Wasn't Thompson the one
who bought the note from Doral Bank when the Keith's previous owner Shya Boymegreen went bust?
Doesn't that make Patrick already a sort of third party or "The 3rd Man"?
"La, la, la, la, la...la, la" Repeat theme.
(Exit music).
Are you guys following all this?
We know that Schenkler is.
Put them in jail where they belong.
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