RKO Keith's Theatre
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
135-35 Northern Boulevard,
Flushing,
NY
11354
51 people
favorited this theater
Showing 701 - 725 of 1,324 comments
Now that I think of it, that is not an official press release. Massey Knakal is not registered with the NYC government.
If a developer or entrpreneur purchases it who is both respectful and original, the “official” press release is meaningless. I pray that it goes under. Power to the people, and not the disrespectful politicians who “pretend to love our landmarks.”
The RKO Keith’s Theatre does not & should not be developed according to Boymelgreen’s ill-fated plans. Respect the history of the theater, restore and rebuild it, and build above if really necessary. C'mon potential theater owners and developers, and be original, but respect the site’s irreplaceable integrity. This is your once-in-a-lifetime shot.
We’re still taking signatures, so please sign our petition and leave a comment:
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I have never before heard of a “vacant” site being sold on the basis of a development “plan” that the previous owner drew up and then abandoned.
‘Twas beauty killed Donald Manes?
Lets not confuse King Kong with Tommy Huang. Perhaps the late Donald Manes could be King Kong, he did start an illegal transaction with Mr. Manes sealing the fate of a once proud movie venue. I see Mr. Huang more as Godzilla.
The Dave Clark Five from Tottenham , England….rivals of the Beatles by the way…….!……Once played at this theatre…I was there at a very early age of 11….to witness it….then after that I went to the RKO KEITHS THEATRE many , many times…..with my girlfriemnd Alison Quick and a lot of friends….It was a great time…..Joe Nania and my website is hollywoodjoe.com
CONTINUOUS 11-11! COOLEST THEATRE!
The now proven economically viable 19 story wall of glass “The Most Congested Condo on the North Shore” with continuously unavailable parking!
Neat photos! Thanks for sharing!
Today I discovered some photos of the RKO Keith’s that I never saw before. They were taken in 1935 and 1936. I published them at this website:
http://bobr1955.tripod.com/
Enjoy, everybody!
Nope. He was a living nightmare!
What’s really interesting about that ad is that they were astute enough in 1933 to call Kong an “apelike monster” and not a “giant gorilla” as so many have for years. Further proof — aside from what’s been allowed to happen to great movie palaces like the Keith’s — that we’ve become steadily more stupid.
You hit the nail on the head! Indeed, why can’t a typical condo open elsewhere?? Theaters are the ultimate public institutions, and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.
I can only hope and pray that yet another grand old palace does not bite the dust. Enough with all the damn condos. Save the great palaces from destruction!!!!!!!!!!
It sounds like a very contrived article to me, Jeffrey 1955. Who knows what is really happening behind the scenes.
I was disheartened to see that Huang realized a capital gain by selling the property.
Rat bastard.
Everyone should read the details of some of these comments: View link
It’s not too late to add your voice & sign the petition. Let’s hope that ill-advised goal of Liu & the CB for another glitzy tower in place of a restorable gem, never becomes a reality. It would be a huge smack in the face, and ultimately a crying shame for all generations!
No mention of building over the landmark lobby? I wonder how close to the end of their 2 year appointed term the advisory community board will be when they realize their dream?
So that’s it? Not a word about anybody wanting to preserve the theater itself?
Actually, according to this, the reason Boymelgreen gave up on the project was because it changed its plan and wanted to develop the residential units into “lofts for home businesses” (whatever those are) and got into a dispute with CB 7, which had already approved 250 condos. That’s the first time I’ve seen that explanation.
The Keith’s site is officially on the market and is being repped by Eastern Consolidated as per “The Real Deal”. The article follows:
Eastern Consolidated to market dormant Flushing theater By David Jones
Eastern Consolidated has been named the exclusive agent to market the site of the long-dormant RKO Keith theater in downtown Flushing.
The site has already been rezoned for a 16-story, 390,000 square foot mixed-use project that could house Flushing’s tallest building.
The rezoning allows for up to 200 residential units, 10,175 square feet of retail space, a senior center and 229 parking spaces. A glass facade would be built around the theater’s landmarked lobby and foyer.
Community Board 7 officials say redeveloping the site is long overdue, and that the Main Street and Northern Boulevard intersection is a critical piece of Flushing’s development.
“There is a 500,000 percent interest in getting this site developed,” said Marilyn Bitterman, the Community Board 7 district manager. “Every meeting we go to the question comes up: when are we going to see some development at the RKO Keith’s?”
The prospective sale comes amid a development boom in Flushing, where Muss Development is building Sky View Parc (once known as Flushing Town Center), a mixed-use development with a luxury condominium on College Point Boulevard near Flushing Meadow Park. That development will include big national retailers, including Target and Home Depot, Bitterman said.
At the RKO site, Boymelgreen Developers gave up on its big plans and decided to sell the property after a dispute with the community. In 2007, Community Board 7 approved a mixed-used project with 250 condominium units and retail and commercial space. However, after the approval Boymelgreen said it wanted to develop the residential units into lofts for home businesses.
Originally built in 1928, the RKO Keith’s theater was considered one of the crown jewels of New York City’s entertainment scene. The theater hosted big vaudeville acts, and operated for years as a movie house before it was sold for $3.4 million to developer Tommy Huang in 1986. Huang had planned to develop the site into a hotel and shopping center complex, but the site remained dormant for years.
Huang later pled guilty to charges that he allowed heating oil to spill into the RKO Keith’s basement and tried to hide the damage. Boymelgreen bought the property from Huang for $15 million in 2002.
Hey, SWCphotography, it’s really cool that you have that picture showing the “Finest Theatre….” sign as it appears today, all faded, so people can compare then and now! I have more photos of the area, not showing the RKO, if you want to see them you can email me at
Hey PTU Bob good show unearthing those pictures. That’s the first I’ve seen of the “Finest Theatre on the North Shore” as it originally appeared. I posted this before as it appears today:
View link
That far-field shot shows the beginning of the old Flushing Bay draw bridge: circa 1975 View link
Now that it’s back on the market any movement over there? Ironic that they believed you could build a 19 story building with parking, without leveling that whole block and part of Northern Blvd., to drive the hundreds of piles you would need to get below nearby Flushing Bay water table and the 70' depth support level, while the New York State Pavilion, which does have piles, rots. Even preserving just the ticket booth with that level of construction
would be a challange.
I found and posted a couple of 1930’s photos showing the Flushing RKO Keith’s theater:
View link
Alas, Zephyr325, I am not Jeffrey Z.; I am Jeffrey M. I did not live on Xenia St., but on Junction Blvd. However, I did graduate from Newtown in June 72 in Forest Park. (We were forced to sing “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” a song derived from a Coke commercial jingle.) And one of my best friends, Robert M., lived on or near Xenia St. (Honestly, I don’t remember which street he lived on.) Here’s something that might jar your memory: Bend-O.
I direct my comment to “Jeffrey 1955”:
I was there for the IS-61 graduation in June 1968 also. That is the only time I was in Keith’s RKO. It was the most ornate theater I’ve ever been in. Are you Jeffrey Z. that lived on Xenia Street in Corona? If so, we not only were in the same IS-61 graduating class, we were friends in Newtown HS and graduated together in June 1972 in Forest Park. If you are who I think you are, please verify it by posting the first 4 letters of your last name. I will check the comments on this thread from time to time.
Perhaps the bad Feng Shui at the site was caused by Thomas Huang’s placement of demolition equipment inside the Keith’s and oil in its basement. It doesn’t take a Feng Shui expert to determine that those seem to have ruined the harmony of the building’s environment.