Man Protests Slave Theater Demo by Threatening to Jump From Top of Marquee
The new owners of Bed Stuy’s iconic Slave Theater filed permits on Wednesday to demolish the once-vibrant hub of civil rights activism. Spurred into action at the prospect of demolition, 81-year-old Clarence Hardy — a former caretaker of the space who claims to be its rightful owner — climbed atop the Slave’s marquee on Friday and threatened to jump if…
The new owners of Bed Stuy’s iconic Slave Theater filed permits on Wednesday to demolish the once-vibrant hub of civil rights activism.
Spurred into action at the prospect of demolition, 81-year-old Clarence Hardy — a former caretaker of the space who claims to be its rightful owner — climbed atop the Slave’s marquee on Friday and threatened to jump if the theater wasn’t saved.
Bed Stuy’s Slave Theater sold through deed fraud, protesters claim. Cops dealing with man on ledge. #Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/Futmh3IlcT
— Kate Briquelet (@kbriquelet) December 4, 2015
Hardy stood on the building’s second-story ledge and marquee for roughly two hours before police took him to the 79th precinct for questioning, according to Gothamist.
The theater’s ownership has been murky and contested for years. Both Clarence Hardy and another man, the Rev. Paul Lewis, claimed to have inherited the building in 2008 after its founder, Judge John Phillips, passed away. But Phillips — who had been declared legally incompetent in 2001 and given a court-appointed guardian who misappropriated funds — died without a will.
Clarence Hardy took the ownership dispute to court years ago, but lost his case. Phillips’s nephew, the Rev. Samuel Boykin, remained the legally recognized inheritor.
Boykin sold the Slave and two adjacent sites to real estate developer Yosef Ariel in 2013 and 2014. Just last month, Ariel sold the three properties to Eli Hemway for $18,500,000. On Wednesday, a construction contractor filed permits to demolish the two-story structure.
“These so-called developers transferred the property from a dead man’s name,” said Omar Hardy, Clarence Hardy’s son, in a phone call with Gothamist.”The building has never been for sale. A dead man cannot buy or sell property.”
[Source: Gothamist | Photos: Brownstoner reader Augustiner]
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And do not forget the building located at Washington Ave. The old Capital Bank building.
wow,what a wild scene, so sad for bedstuy…is there anyway to salvage marquee or outside structure?
i have a commercial space on macon an arlington ,maybe front facade can be rebuilt at a new location new by ? am i reaching?..sucks losing the culture..the neighborhood, the people. ;(
Yea Bra,
Your Birthday only comes once a year LOL
Saddest thing about this is that the replacement building is sure to be cookie cutter cheap looking.
Agree.
Wish we can all spend our time and energy in influencing what the new developer will build here rather than having to waste our energy listening to Mr. Hardy who has no legal ownership of this building at all.
truth!
Mr. Hardy and Lewis are trying to take this building from the one person that inherited and sold it legally. Mr. Hardy and Rev. Lewis need to understand that by being tenants at the time the owner passed away, does not make them owners of the building. These guys are horrible and they really need to let go.
It is unfortunate that the building will be demolished; I was hoping the new owner would keep the structure and just build up.