Ridgewood Theatre rentals will cost a pretty penny

From QNS.com:

New apartments at blockbuster prices will soon be the feature presentation at the former Ridgewood Theatre.

The former moviehouse located at 55-27 Myrtle Ave. is being converted from a 2,500-seat, five-screen multiplex theater to a five-story mixed use building featuring a commercial space on the lower floor and 50 residential units on the upper floors.

What really has residents in a tizzy is the prices for the apartments. A banner on the theater’s landmarked marquee is advertising the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments starting at $2,300. That means the smallest apartments for rent will go for $2,300, with the larger units most likely fetching increasingly more money.

This can't be. REBNY and the pols they have bought off tell us that landmarking decreases property values. The numbers in this article must be typos then.

Ridgewood Theatre becoming apartments

From Curbed:

Plans for Ridgewood Theater's residential conversion were announced last fall, so what's going on at the site now? Not much, but that may soon change; permits for the project were approved this week. The plans call for adding two stories to the three-story building, and created 50 apartments (10 more than previously reported). Owner Bushburg Properties recently told Curbed that they are still in the planning stages of the development, working to bring contractors on board and finalizing their designs. The first floor will be an entertainment/cultural venue, and the permits make clear that the existing exterior of the theater, which is landmarked, will remain. Nataliya Donskoy is the architect.

Ridgewood Theater to house 40 apartments

From WyckoffHeights.org:

The new owner of the shuttered Ridgewood Theater has filed to enlarge and convert the landmark building into mixed commercial and residential occupancy, with ground floor retail and 40 dwelling units. The proposed work, which would roughly double the floor area of the existing building to 44,500 square feet, was oddly filed as a new building application:

Proposed conversion of exist movie theater into mixed use commercial/residential building, including construction of new floors within existing shell & minor vertical enlargement. NB application is filed due to extend of the work, however existing 3 story entry portion & all existing walls & existing foundations at theater portion will remain.

The Times Newsweekly reported last month that the theater had been purchased by Bushburg Properties, a Borough Park company that also owns The Loom and 385 Troutman (a residential conversion under the expanded loft law).

The Architect for the theater conversion is Nataliya Donskoy, a Robert Scarano alum who is not known for contextual alterations.

Ridgewood Theater won't be supermarket

From the Times Ledger:

The Ridgewood Theater’s current owner is marketing the landmarked building as the possible site of a concert venue, according to a source.

A spokesman for CPEX, a Brooklyn-based real estate firm working closely with the current owner, said that since the building is already configured as a theater, it would be good to reach out to event space and theater operators.

But he said the real estate firm would listen to all proposals permitted by the zoning.

“We have been marking the property for a little over a month and since then have had a lot of interest,” said the spokesman for the building, at 55-27 Myrtle Ave. “We have walked a few parties through the space and we have a few more walkthroughs over the next few weeks and we are waiting on letters of intent from a few people.”

Proponents of the Ridgewood Theater, shuttered since 2008, achieved a milestone in 2010 when the facade of the building and the marquee received landmark status, but the battle rages on over the interior. In 2010, rumors swirled that the ground level would be transformed into a supermarket, but that never came to fruition.

Supermarket to inhabit Ridgewood Theatre

From the Daily News:

A landmarked Queens movie theater that opened during World War I and became the longest continuously operated theater in the nation will be transformed into an Associated supermarket, the Daily News has learned.

The Ridgewood Theatre - shuttered since 2008 - will turn from film to food next year, changing its use for the first time since the Myrtle Ave. mainstay opened in 1916, sources said.

"Oy!" exclaimed Orlando Lopes of the Theatre Historical Society of America. "A part of history is lost, and that is really terribly sad."

The movie house earned city landmark status this year, protecting its ornate facade from alterations or demolition. Insiders insist its stage and grand staircase are beyond repair.

Still, the sale raises questions about the site's future.

Associated can't change the exterior without city approval, but it can wreck the largely intact lobby and other interior attributes of the two-story venue.

Harry Laufer, president of the Long Island-based chain, estimated the store will open in "maybe six months." But he said he did not know the renovation plans of franchisee Tony Guzman.

Guzman's attorney did not return calls seeking comment.

Ridgewood Theatre auditorium cannot be saved

From the Daily News:

The Ridgewood Theatre, once the longest continuously operated moviehouse in the country, may have run its final flick.

The Myrtle Ave. landmark - shuttered in 2008 and now being sold - has garnered just a few potential buyers who want to show films again, according to several sources close to the negotiations.

In fact, the theater's auditorium has deteriorated so much that restoration costs may exceed $25 million, said Ted Renz, executive director of the Myrtle Ave. Business Improvement District.

Locals who have been allowed inside the Ridgewood in recent months described an unsalvageable mess with half-collapsing ceilings and busted statues.

"It's all gone," said Paul Kerzner of the Ridgewood Local Development Corp. "There's absolutely nothing left. What you got left is the facade, and you got the lobby and the staircase."

The city designated the Beaux-Arts theater as a landmark in January, crediting the Daily News for "crusading" reports that had alerted city officials to the structure.

But landmarking protects only the ornate exterior of the theater, which was designed by renowned architect Thomas Lamb and welcomed its first customers in 1916.

Sources said that the lobby and staircase, which remain in good condition, are slated to be incorporated in any plans for the site.

But the auditorium, which originally offered films and vaudeville acts for crowds of 2,500, will likely be gutted due to its poor state.

Photo from Forgotten-NY.

Ridgewood Theatre for sale

From the Daily News:

It's back on the market. Thomas A. Donovan, a managing director at Massey Knakal, has the exclusive listing on the 52,000-square-foot Ridgewood Theatre in Queens. It has a 3,000-square-foot stage and 40 feet of frontage on busy Myrtle Ave. It can be delivered vacant or primed for residential, hotel or commercial development for $3.9 million. "This is the best property in all of Queens if it's done right," says Donovan. "It was on for $8 million just two years ago. Imagine a Queens version of Brooklyn Bowl." He's right. This could make the nabe. If interested, call (718) 512-2626.

Photo from Curbed.

Landmarked Ridgewood Theatre Available: Call For Proposals

QUEENS, NY (April 4, 2010) - On Jan 12, 2010, the 1916 Ridgewood Theatre, 55-27 Myrtle Ave earned Individual Landmark status after nearly 2 years of advocacy by Chair Michael Perlman of Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre, and also due to parties who testified in favor, including the owners. The theater is a Greek Revival Gem with great square footage, was deemed the longest continuously operating first-run theater upon closure, witnessed a series of firsts in Vaudeville and film history, and was designed by the renown Thomas Lamb.

Closed since March 2008, the owners announced plans in March 2009 to adaptively/creatively reuse the ground floor auditorium as retail, with modern screens upstairs, as well as preserve and restore the historic interior. Currently, the owners may not pursue their plan, and would consider leasing to art, entertainment, cultural groups, or any combination, or selling the theater. Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre is trying to help the owners by finding an individual or group(s) with a creative vision, who value its architectural and cultural history, and will make it an economically viable venture for the up & coming neighborhood of Ridgewood, and accompanying neighborhoods to enjoy. Paul Kerzner of the Ridgewood Property Owners Civic Association is also trying to find such parties.

Please e-mail Chair Michael Perlman at unlockthevault@hotmail.com with inquiries and proposals, and all information will be relayed to the owners.
*This information is not a representation of the owners, is believed to be accurate, and is subject to change.

Ridgewood Theatre is ready for its closeup

courtesy of Chair Michael Perlman, Friends of Ridgewood Theatre

Nearly 2-Year Landmarking Cause In The Making, Boils Down To 1 Day:
Commissioners To Vote on Historic Ridgewood Theatre

RIDGEWOOD, NY (Jan 12, 2010) – Queens’ historic Ridgewood Theatre (55-27 Myrtle Ave) closed its doors in March 2008 without warning, but patrons & preservationists are now elated that the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission will hold a Public Meeting, where Commissioners will vote whether to designate the theater as Queens’ newest Individual Landmark (façade). The Public Meeting for the Ridgewood Theatre (Agenda Item #3, LP-2325) is set for Tues, January 12, 2010 from 10:15 AM – 10:25 AM at the Municipal Building, 1 Centre St, 9th Floor North, NY, NY 10007:

A hearing was held on March 24, 2009 as a result of a Request For Evaluation form and research, a letter campaign, a petition drive, and a MySpace Group coordinated by Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre, which was founded by Preservationist Michael Perlman after the theater’s closure in 2008. Testimony in support of Individual Landmark status was diverse and abundantly positive, and also included written testimony from Thomas A. Lamb, the great-grandson of Architect Thomas W. Lamb, who was tracked down by Chair Perlman. Co-owner Mario Saggese expressed his support for landmarking the façade, and also said the owners envision a historically-sensitive plan for the downstairs auditorium space consisting of retail to make it economically viable, with modern screens upstairs.

Opening its doors on December 23, 1916 and closing in March 2008, the Ridgewood Theatre was deemed “the longest continuously operating first-run neighborhood theater citywide, and potentially throughout the U.S.” It staged Vaudeville, silent films, saw the advent of photoplays, the first ‘100% All-Talking’ feature, Lights of New York (1928), & Technicolor. Its original seating capacity was 2,500, but currently contains 5 screens and seats 1,950.

Modeled after Times Square’s long-demolished Mark Strand Theatre (the World’s 1st movie palace), the $250,000 Classical Revival gem was designed by America’s foremost theater architect, Thomas White Lamb, & built by the Levy Brothers. The 3-story Indiana limestone & terra cotta façade is highly ornate, incorporating unique geometric patterns, medallions, a frieze, pilasters, and proudly boasts Ridgewood Theatre across the top. Interior murals originally depicted the history of Ridgewood.

Perlman explains: “Theaters are the ‘ultimate public institutions’ which bridge the generations, as they foster community growth and pride, harbor countless memories, and often exhibit the work of our country’s most skillful architects. Commissioned architects hoped to leave a long-lasting impression of grandeur, confidence, serenity, and comfort; a bold step away from the pressures of society.”

Perlman further explains “With the onset of DVDs, and vastly improved home entertainment centers, movie theaters with a minimal number of screens are a highly endangered species citywide. When sacrificed in the name of progress, their loss is most heartfelt. Local theaters with an unfortunate fate include the Oasis, Parthenon, Irving, & RKO Madison Theatre (retail), but the Ridgewood Theatre can be economically viable if preserved and adaptively reused for theater-related purposes. It would contribute to an up & coming neighborhood and a diverse borough.”

Historic & recent Ridgewood Theatre photos, courtesy of Chair Michael Perlman, Friends of Ridgewood Theatre

Online Petition

Friends of The Ridgewood Theatre MySpace Group

Ridgewood Theatre to reopen in July

NEW YORK (AP) -- An encore is planned this summer for a former vaudeville theater in Queens.

Its new owners say the Ridgewood Theatre will reopen in July with a three-screen cinema and shops.

The Ridgewood opened in 1916 and closed a year ago. It was billed as the oldest continuously operating movie house in the nation.

The New York City landmarks commission will consider historic designation later this spring. The owners say they won't oppose the designation as long as it's only for the building's exterior.

The Ridgewood was one of more than 300 theaters across the nation designed by architect Thomas Lamb. A few remain, including the Ziegfeld in midtown Manhattan.

Ridgewood Theatre likely to be landmarked

From the NY Times:

The West Park Presbyterian Church on the Upper West Side, a Romanesque Revival edifice of red sandstone...took a major step Tuesday toward becoming a New York City landmark.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to schedule a public hearing for the church and for three other sites: the Fort Washington Presbyterian Church in Washington Heights, the Ridgewood Theater in Queens and the former headquarters of the Brooklyn Union Gas Company in Brooklyn Heights. The panel also agreed to hold a hearing on a proposal to create an Audubon Park Historic District in Washington Heights.

Amazing what a real estate bust can do for preservation...

Ridgewood Theatre may be landmarked

Photo by unlockthevault on Flickr.

From the Times Ledger:

Ridgewood’s embattled historic movie house may get a reprieve from the wrecking ball as the city Landmarks Preservation Commission will soon decide whether to consider the 92−year−old theater for landmark status, a Landmarks official said.

No date has been set yet, but a discussion of the theater was expected to be on the calendar for a meeting in the near future, the official said.

News of the pending decision buoyed Forest Hills resident Michael Perlman, an avid preservationist who founded the Friends of the Ridgewood Theatre and advocated for its preservation last year.

“I was feeling elated,” he said. “Official landmark status would be the crown to a landmark in the eyes of the majority [of neighbors]. It would ensure a rare survivor’s longevity for future generations to cherish.”

City eyes Ridgewood Theatre landmark