Slave Theater Hits The Market

The historic Slave Theater at 1215 Fulton Street at Bedford Avenue in Bed Stuy has had a rocky road of late, what with the legal complications surrounding the tragic final years of its former owner Judge John Phillips; Phillips was declared legally incompetent in 2001 and his affairs were placed in the hands of court-appointed guardians who then proceeded to display their own brand of incompetence by racking up close to $2 million in tax debts to the U.S. Government and helping themselves money they were not entitled to. Phillips died last year and an Ohio-based nephew is now in charge of settling his estate. Now the Slave Theater is on the market through Massey Knakal for $2,950,000; the Phillips-owned Black Lady Theater is also currently available. The Slave Theater never received landmark protection, so let’s hope that whoever buys it doesn’t go nuts with the 25,000 square feet of buildable space that’s now allowed because of a recent rezoning. Interestingly, Massey Knakal also is marketing the property to the rear of the Slave Theater owned by the Cush School. Who would be the ideal buyer of this place? Are there any artists who got their start here who’ve gone on to make a ton of dough who could step up to the plate?
1215-17 Fulton Street [Massey Knakal]GMAP
Slave Theater in Court, Preservation Effort Weak [Brownstoner]