Wondering About the Loew's Wonder Theater
Almost exactly a year ago, the Economic Development Corporation put out a request for proposals for the redevelopment of the gargantuan, dilapidated Loew’s Kings theater in Flatbush. Since then, though, there’s been little news about plans for the property. The former “wonder theater” has been the subject of a number of failed revitalization schemes since…
Almost exactly a year ago, the Economic Development Corporation put out a request for proposals for the redevelopment of the gargantuan, dilapidated Loew’s Kings theater in Flatbush. Since then, though, there’s been little news about plans for the property. The former “wonder theater” has been the subject of a number of failed revitalization schemes since it closed in 1977 (in 1999, for example, Magic Johnson signed up to turn it into a modern multiplex). In March, the EDC told the Times they’d received multiple bids for the theater and that the agency would try to move beyond the initial stage of the project sometime this spring (which, obviously, didn’t happen). We called the EDC a couple of times to ask about where the project stood but haven’t heard back. Any intel out there about what is—or isn’t—cooking?
A Chance to Bring Back an Old Brooklyn Gem [Brownstoner] GMAP
Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn; The Kings Is Dead! Long Live the Kings! [NY Times]
make it an ultimate fighting venue
I live a couple blocks from the theater and it is a nice family area with very quaint residential blocks, lots of people getting up for work or school early in the morning, and loads of church goers on Sunday. It is mostly Caribbean – Im one of the only white people in the area. I feel safe here and catch no hard stares from anybody. Granted, a few things have happened in the month Ive lived here, like someone trying to break into my place, I’ve seen four people peeing in the street in the day time, and a store has been robbed. Also, the Compstats are not encouraging, but this area is at the very end of a police precinct that includes part of Brownsville and the rest of Flatbush. Looking the other way, the area is buttressed by Kensington to the North(ish), Ditmas Park to the West, and Brooklyn College to the South.
Why didn’t the brooklyn Tabernacle take over this place instead of building a new place?
They clared the lot next to it…what are they going to do with that?
Thing is, Slick at 7:15, the city has to fix the Kings NOW because it is literally going to fall apart by the time someone decides the neighborhood could support an arts venue there. Plus one would hope the city would see its job as contributing to the improvement to that area, not waiting for it to happen first then jumping on the bandwagon. The city should be willing to take on that risk.
Make it the new Hustler Club Brooklyn.
to those who say “poor people ruin everything they touch”:
i’m not so sure that is exclusive to poor people. there are many rich developers and people who have bulldozed lovely buildings to put up a crappy “box o’ concrete”. they’ve also pushed things such as the Atlantic Yards Project that will adversely destroy the character of nearby neighborhoods.
i was in harlem the other day and there are blocks after blocks of beautifully preserved old buildings… as well as some dilapidated ones. however, people are so willing to live in manhattan, that there are tons of people buying up even the worst condition buildings and fixing them up with attention to detail. i see so much BAD reconstruction here… (brick facades on houses that were once wood porches) with tacky silver/brass fences. not to mention, the new contstruction is just horrible, other than the meier building and a few new buildings in downtown brooklyn.
The You Tube version of the same Loew’s Kings video:
http://www.youtube.com/user/LoewsManDCP
The Daily News is working on an article on the Loew’s Kings – hopefully it will contain some good news.
Here’s a video about the Loew’s Kings:
http://www.planetplg.com/docs/LoewsKings.mp4
and a page with background info:
http://www.planetplg.com/loews.htm
This is a true Brooklyn treasure that must be restored.
in the future, i agree. But so long as the neighborhood around Kings is “lower middle class” or ghetto depending on your opinion, I dont think it will be able to support anything.