The owner of the dilapidated RKO Keith’s Theatre in Downtown Flushing will go before Community Board 7 next month seeking a waiver from the previously approved plans to develop the site into condominiums.
CB 7’s decision is the first step before the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals makes the final ruling.
Jerry Karlik, who heads JK Equities, the developer who bought the Northern Boulevard site in 2013, needs the waiver before he can proceed with construction. He wants to decrease the number of condominiums from 357 to 269; decrease underground parking from 327 to 252 spaces and increase the height of the building by 15 feet for mechanical equipment.
The most controversial change involves an already-approved undulating glass curtain entrance. Karlik wants to redesign the front to provide views of the landmarked lobby.
But Chuck Apelian, chairman of CB 7’s Land Use Committee and vice chairman of the board, said Tuesday that changing the facade plan “might be a point of contention” with the board because the glass curtain is such an integral part of the original plan.
Apelian doesn’t see any problem with the extra 15-foot height since the Port Authority has already agreed to it. Buildings cannot be constructed too high in Flushing because of nearby LaGuardia Airport. The Keith’s project calls for a 17-story building on top of the 87-year-old movie house.
Apelian considers the other changes relatively minor and noted that a proposed senior center is still part of the plan as a community facility.
27 comments:
Now Wellington Chen is going to lift the landmark for the developer.
Just get it done already !
Number one commentor hit the nail right on the head. If Wellington Chen sits on them LPC...he will cry crocodile tears about how much he loves the Keith's (bah, humbug) and will ask for a mercy killing to delandmarking it. "As much as I like theater, it unsound and I think time come to condemn it". Boo hoo!
It would have been done already if CB7 had refrained from nit picking to death every plan submitted by Boymelgreen and Thompson...its previous owners. They were the ones throwing sand into the gears. If it weren't parking concerns or size of apartments it was something else. Why does CB7 continue to resist giving the developers the special perks it has already granted other developers? Is "follow the buck" Chuck holding out for a bigger kickback?
Contrast the state of affairs with the restoration of the grand Loew's Kings Theatre in Brooklyn , with the sorry state of the RKO Keith's. Corruption stirred the pot in cooking the Keith's into the murky stew that is being served up now. At this point it looks like the theatre is way past what it might have been. Unfortunately, time moves on. Before the landmark spaces rot further beyond saving, does it not make sense to incorporate them into a new building for their preservation? As they say, half a glass of water is better than none. I hope that "they" are right. 1986-2015 is a lot of time for an unheated building to survive. Let us all hope for some kind of decent outcome for this poor shell of a once splendid movie palace.
Glass curtain...ass curtain facade. Why does Chuck Apelian always find fault with every detail. It is almost as if he wants to see an eyesore remain the gateway to Flushing. It is high time for that shady vice chair to abandon his cushy CB7 seat. Go park your fat ass somwhere else Chuckie!
Maybe the Feds will help Chuck park his butt on a prison bunk bed. All that Albany stuff has local roots.
Drop the senior center. This is one of the most dangerous crossings for seniors in Flushing. This hare brained idea was John Liu's. Maybe the agenda was to kill off the olde tymers who were witnesses to the sellout of Flushing so that the newly arrived could have their way with it.
My Crystal ball see's the RKO burnt to the ground and a shinny new Sky Scrapper in the future..
Knock down that building. Landmark RKO was bulls**t! It was Tommy did not pay off Johnny and Toby instead off Manley. Stop any development. Build a museum or Aquarium for the public
Tommy Huang already tried burning the theater to the ground. Uh...bub...theaters are fireproof. No it will be de landmarked and torn down. While you are consulting your crystal ball, a visit to an optometrist is recommended.
Let's see how long the deliberations about these plans drag on at CB7. Joe Sweeny is good for stalling the new developer for at least two months. Then, maybe the developer will flip the property to another buyer. It has been a tortured existence for the Keith's since 1986. I'm afraid it will continue to be a slow death fro the grande dame.
Mr Crystal Ball....all of the plans presented to date show a shiny new skyscraper replacing the Keith's. Whether it contains the landmarked lobby depends on the soundness of the structure. It is far cheaper for this new Chinese developer to demolish the lobby. A previous estimate for its restoration was about 20 million dollars. Accidents do happen during construction...whoops...it all falls down!
LOL! A Chinese work foreman conveying orders to his workers telling them to be careful of the landmark. " No speakie good English. Sorry boss about pulling down ticket lobby".
One of the requirements set forth by the Landmarks Commission is that all workers be fluent in the English language. Enough with these uninformed inflammatory comments.
What's the difference what the new plans are. The plot to turn Flushing into Flooshing is near completion. The Caucasions have left town, for the most part. The Koreans are in the process of being pushed off of Union Street. Build a decorative wall ,evocative of the Great Wall in China around the downtown hub, and create an Oriental theme park which will draw tourists.
CB7's favorite song: "I wanna get you on a slow boat to China" with perks and free passage of course. Didn't Wellington Chen once arrange for a trip to (was it Toronto?) for Mr. and Mrs. Bitterman? Marilyn thinks that Wellington walks on water. She is always kissing his ass and asking him for advice. When your IQ is below 80, you look for all the help you can get. I am sure that for $90,000 a year a better district manager can be found .
As an old guy (I'll be 67 this month), I saw many, many movies in this theater. Teenagers (me included) always sought the dark privacy of the "balcony" seats to smooch with our girlfriends.
Any possibility of restoring this theater are long, long gone.
I agree fully with Jerry Rotundi's comment: "Let us all hope for some kind of decent outcome for this poor shell of a once splendid movie palace."
It's tough, though, watching all my childhood memories disappear....
Just to set the record straight I guestimate about $200,000,000 would restore...more like rebuild....the old theatre in today's inflated dollars. In 1928 the Keith's was built for $1,000,000. Of course, the property would have to be purchased from the owner first.
Apelian strikes me as a lying butt hole. Nothing is minor when it comes to the Byzantine machinations of CB7!
Does Marilyn Bitterman have any thoughts on this? Does she have a brain? Maybe a visit to the Wizzard of Oz can remedy that. Dump Bitterman. She's just a go-fer for the scheming Apelian & company.
Who is the shadow Chinese owner of the Keith's? Maybe it's a cousin of Tommy Huang. That would be a royal kick in the ass after all these years.
Word has it that on February, 24th, at 7:30 PM, CB7 will hold a committee meeting regarding the new plans. These are open to the public but no participation is allowed unless asked. The big public hearing looks like it is scheduled for March 9th. Call CB7 to confirm time, dates and place. It is likely to be at Union Plaza Nursing Home on Union Street as usual.
Did Marilyn Bitterman receive a "perk" from Wellington Chen in return for praising him as a good choice for a Landmarks Commission post?
Both Boymelgreen and Thompson, the two previous owners, we're going to use the same architect...Jay Valgora of "V Associates". Who will be the architect now? The Keith's story continues to be a great mystery. It has had four owners since 1986.
If there is a printing contract in it for Prestone, Chuck's company, you can bet that slick player is kissing up to the current owner.
Maybe Chuck Apelian is in on the solution.
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