Westbury Theater
250 Post Avenue,
Westbury,
NY
11590
250 Post Avenue,
Westbury,
NY
11590
5 people
favorited this theater
Built in 1927, the Westbury Theatre was one of (at least six) Calderone Theaters in Nassau County, Long Island (Westbury, Glen Cove, Lynbrook, Mineola, two in Hempstead including the Calderone Concert Hall).
The theater was designed by architect Douglas Pairman Hall in a unique medieval-Tudor style that remains evident to this day. The beautiful and expansive auditorium originally seated 1,600 and included orchestra, loge and balcony sections.
Twinned "down the middle" in the late-1970’s, the theater managed to make the conversion without altering much of the interior. However, for the last 20 years, it continued to lose patronage as the current owners ran it into the ground, failing to make repairs and charging first run prices for second run fare. A loss of customers initially and incredulously came to a head in the late-1980’s following a much publicized local debacle in which the theater owner called the police to have a senior citizen customer forcibly removed from the auditorium after he refused to give up his cough drops! The windfall from this affair, coupled with the construction of nearby multiplexes ultimately left the Westbury Theater for broke.
In 2001, with crowds dwindling and the leaks growing, the Westbury was forced to shut its doors, having been cited for various building safety code violations. The future of the theater is now uncertain. While the very same owners would actually like to save and restore the theater, and, according to the marquee have formed a campaign for this purpose, it appears as though it might be too little, too late. Years of neglect, a seemingly disinterested local neighborhood, the shaky relationship that appears to exist between the theater owners and local businesses and politicians, and finally, the real estate allure of the location make a second act unlikely for this old neighborhood gem.
By October 2010, work had begun on demolition of the dividing walls in the auditorium, restoration and clean-up, with a formal ‘ground breaking’ ceremony held on October 22 to convert into a performing arts center.
Contributed by
Marty Nartinez
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Recent comments (view all 139 comments)
The entire upper floor of the formerly tudor-styled Post Avenue facade has been stripped to its wood frame. A great deal of the cement work seems to have been completed on the addition on the south side of the auditorium, as well. Unfortunately, with the recent time change, it was too dark to snap any photos the last couple of times I passed by on my way home from work.
Finally captured and some images the other morning that I’ve uploaded to document progress on the renovations. Post Avenue structure is now completely down to studs and beam framing. Also looks as if the marquee has been taken away (can’t tell behind the construction shedding if the frame is still there – I imagine it would be needed to support a new marquee). The new addition on the south side of the auditorium is now clad in insulation panels, but much clearing of debris and some excavation is still ongoing at the property.
Seems to me that completion by March of this year will be a tall order for the contractor to meet! That’s only 2 short months away!
I can’t find any updates online regarding the opening of the new Performing Arts Center here. I passed by this morning, once again, and the site appears just about the same as it was on January 12th, when I took the most recent round of photos. Can’t really say what the progress is on the interior, but there’s still a lot of work required to finish the exterior, for sure. The entire facade on Post Avenue is still exposed down to the bare wood frame, and the new structure on the south-side of the audtorium is still clad in exposed insulation panels. I can’t imagine this is still on pace for a grand opening within the next 4 – 6 weeks.
I feel like I’m becoming CT’s preeminent monologist! Always seem to be carrying on with myself at one theater or another. In any event, this project definitely seems to be delayed, in terms of meeting its scheduled opening date. As of today, the Post Ave structure is still down to bare wood frame and there are still unsealed cuts in the auditorium structure that allow exposure to the elements. I would have thought this site would have been further along in its renovations at this point, particularly considering the extraordinarily mild winter we’ve had here on Long Island.
Meanwhile, this page on the contractor’s website has some photographs, including a glimpse at the state of the auditorium from when the old roof had been completely removed last year. As suspected, all decorative elements appear to have been stripped down to the brick and concrete.
Why did they bother to renovate and not demolish, there is NOTHING left.
Well, as of yesterday, the studs and beams forming the gabled roof of the Post Avenue mixed-use structure have been removed. This is the first sign of new work to the exterior that I’ve seen in many weeks. That is not to say work has not been proceeding on the interior. In fact, I’ve noticed that the various openings from the auditorium to the street have all recently been closed-off with plywood, suggesting that work is at a point where the builders are concerned about exposure to the elements.
I’m still unable to find any internet news regarding an updated completion or opening date.
This article has a target date of Fall 2012. I haven’t been by there – does it look like they’ll make it?:
http://longisland.broadwayworld.com/article/Westbury-Performing-Arts-Center-on-Track-for-Fall-2012-Launch-20120420
I suppose that’s possible, CaptRonLI. It’s far enough away that it seems feasible. I have some more recent images on my cell phone that I’ll have to upload when I get a chance from home. They have completely dismantled the old lumber on Post Avenue and, last I saw (about a week or so ago) they were well on their way to re-framing the entrance structure anew.
The new addition on the southern side of the auditorium was still clad in its insulation boards, looking quite the same as it did in my photos from January 9th. Of course, I have no idea what the progress has been inside the theater.
Updated photos from several different days in April have just been posted, showing dismantling of original Post Avenue facade and framing for new structure going up.
According to an article in the May 17, 2012 Westbury Times The Westbury Performing Arts Center will open some time this fall. The theatre will feature a Broadway-sized proscenium stage in front of approximately 400 seats on the main level and 300 on the balcony.
The majority of the performances will be live although it is likely that second run and classic films may be shown.
I would think they should show independent films such as WHBPAC. They shouldn’t need a venue for second run films with the 12 plex down the road and the Silver Scrren Classics at the National Amusements theatres.