The Board of Standards & Appeals has unanimously approved the redevelopment by Patrick Thompson of the former RKO Keith movie theater in Flushing, Queens into a 17-story rental apartment building with 357 units.
The 83-year-old movie palace has been closed for about a quarter of a century.
"This long-neglected site is finally on the road to rebirth as a mixed-used development that will provide much needed housing and a senior center," said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, in an article by Amanda Fung in today's edition of crainsnewyork.com. "From the 1920s to the 1980s, when it was vacated, the RKO Keith was a major entertainment Mecca for everything from vaudeville shows to motion pictures," she said
"Two previous owners failed in their attempts to revamp it. These began in 1986, when Queens developer Thomas Huang bought the already badly deteriorated property with plans to convert it into a retail complex and hotel. He was accused of demolishing landmarked portions of the theater and hit with multiple building violations. In the end, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and stopped work on the project. In 2002, then-high-flying Brooklyn developer Shaya Boymelgreen bought the theater and announced plans to build a condominium on the site. When he defaulted on his mortgage, Mr. Thompson stepped in, paying Doral Bank $20 million for the loan," the article said.
Mr. Thompson expects to start construction of the $160 million project at the intersection of Main street and Northern Boulevard as early as the end of the year and plans to restore the theater's ornate three-story-high lobby. Studio V is the architect for the project.
James McClelland, chief of staff for City Councilman Peter Koo, told Crain's "We are happy to have support from all segments of the community and elected officials," adding that "RKO has been an eyesore for so many years and is at the corner of what is considered the gateway to Flushing."
"In mid-December, Mr. Thompson submitted an application to the Board of Standards asking to modify plans that had been submitted by its previous owner. The changes included increasing the number of units from 200, increasing parking spaces inside the building to 385 from 229 and increasing the retail square footage to 17,000 from 11,000. The property's overall height, square footage bulk and visual look are to follow the plans that the Board of Standards originally approved back in 2005," the article said.
The 83-year-old movie palace has been closed for about a quarter of a century.
"This long-neglected site is finally on the road to rebirth as a mixed-used development that will provide much needed housing and a senior center," said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, in an article by Amanda Fung in today's edition of crainsnewyork.com. "From the 1920s to the 1980s, when it was vacated, the RKO Keith was a major entertainment Mecca for everything from vaudeville shows to motion pictures," she said
"Two previous owners failed in their attempts to revamp it. These began in 1986, when Queens developer Thomas Huang bought the already badly deteriorated property with plans to convert it into a retail complex and hotel. He was accused of demolishing landmarked portions of the theater and hit with multiple building violations. In the end, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and stopped work on the project. In 2002, then-high-flying Brooklyn developer Shaya Boymelgreen bought the theater and announced plans to build a condominium on the site. When he defaulted on his mortgage, Mr. Thompson stepped in, paying Doral Bank $20 million for the loan," the article said.
Mr. Thompson expects to start construction of the $160 million project at the intersection of Main street and Northern Boulevard as early as the end of the year and plans to restore the theater's ornate three-story-high lobby. Studio V is the architect for the project.
James McClelland, chief of staff for City Councilman Peter Koo, told Crain's "We are happy to have support from all segments of the community and elected officials," adding that "RKO has been an eyesore for so many years and is at the corner of what is considered the gateway to Flushing."
"In mid-December, Mr. Thompson submitted an application to the Board of Standards asking to modify plans that had been submitted by its previous owner. The changes included increasing the number of units from 200, increasing parking spaces inside the building to 385 from 229 and increasing the retail square footage to 17,000 from 11,000. The property's overall height, square footage bulk and visual look are to follow the plans that the Board of Standards originally approved back in 2005," the article said.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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