Demo Comes to Old Theater-Turned-Building Supply Henry’s on Broadway in Ocean Hill

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We caught the demolition of the People’s Pleasure Palace, built sometime around 1900 at 1674 Broadway in Ocean Hill, last week and over the weekend. For decades, this has been a building supply store called Henry Distributors, aka Henry’s, and an important employer in the area.

As we have detailed in previous stories, this large and strangely shaped parcel will become supportive housing, along with the very large empty lot across the street at 1696 Broadway. Owner Stan Henry is one of the developers, along with SUS and Alembic Community Development, and someday the retail space on the ground floor of this building will include another Henry’s hardware store. The two buildings will be known as the Henry Apartments.

The building looked like a stable, although it was not, and had somewhat mysterious additions on the sides as well as an opening on the second story in the rear of the building that looked like a hayloft. There is also a large yard in back with sheds that also looked as though they might have once housed horses.

Although it wasn’t a fancy building — far from it — the blocky, rusty colored brick building had a reassuring and attractive look jutting up against blue sky. We will miss it, and we welcome the new development as well.

Six-Story Mixed-Use Building in the Works at Broadway and Decatur [Brownstoner] GMAP
Affordable Housing Proposed for Long-Empty Lot at Decatur and Broadway [Brownstoner]
Big Affordable Housing Complex on Broadway in Ocean Hill Breaks Ground [Brownstoner]
Renderings Posted for Huge Affordable Build at Broadway and Decatur [Brownstoner]
Rendering by Peter Woll

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Above, Henry Distributors in June.

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Above, a previously published rendering that shows the design for the apartments that will replace the old theater and hardware distributor.

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