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Seeking endangered theater to transport & spare from demolition
posted by
NativeForestHiller
on
February 11, 2009 at 3:40 pm
After brokering a deal to spare NYC’s historic Cheyenne Diner from oblivion via transport to AL (in coming weeks), I am now seeking a historic theater to spare from demolition. The joint project entails transporting a theater, that is preferably in imminent endangerment of demolition.
I have historic preservation investors lined up, who would be interested in transporting the historic facade and any interior architectural attributes, if not the entire interior.
To recommend theaters that fit the above criteria, please Michael Perlman.
Thank you!
Comments (10)
glassborrow nj has a fantastic old theater thats just sitting and rotting and so close to the college, could be huge for art and repertory films plus college film events
I am seeking a theater a fellow preservationist/buyer can transport, but please tell me the name of the theater. Thank you!
Glassboro Theatre
Glassboro, NJ
High and Academy Streets
Glassboro, NJ 08028 United States
Thank you, Newt!
Ventnor Twin Theatre
Ventnor City, NJ
5211 Ventnor Avenue
Ventnor City, NJ 08406 United States
i love this location, this theater has 2 screen between the ocean city garden district an the nicer part of ac
one screen could be for family and summer friendly films, the other for repertory classics and film series events (cult faves like blade runner, fight club, western classics, hollywood classics of the 40’s and 50’s)
What are you doing? Is the below quote accurate? I will post on Ridgewood news, too, since that’s still on homepage.
Nobody is going to “move” the entire Ridgewood Theatre, with all its original plaster, paint,and other decorative features. Movie palaces cost millions to build, and it is too expensive to move or reconstruct them in another location. Historic preservation of all buildings will be destroyed if preservationists pretend that moving a few artifacts is good enough!
February 8, 2009 New York Times:
Also on their list of possible acquisitions, she
said, is the Ridgewood Theater on Myrtle Avenue, where Queens and
Brooklyn meet. ‘'We might take it,’‘ said Ms. Miller, a publicity
manager. Mr. Owens is an auto dealer and financial planner. The
93-year-old movie house, designed by Thomas W. Lamb, who was considered
the king of theater architects, never missed a day of showings until it
closed last March, making it the longest-continuously operated cinema in
the country, according to the Theater Historical Society of America.
Ms. Miller said that she and Mr. Owens learned of the theater's
uncertain fate from Michael Perlman, a local preservationist who has
rallied supporters in efforts to save the theater and recently got the
preservation commission to consider designating it for protection. In
any case, only the facade would be granted landmark status. Of the
25,000 landmark buildings in New York, only 125 are protected inside as
well. Mr. Perlman, 26, who has a graphic arts business and collects
vintage postcards, said that the relocation of the seats and other
furnishings of the Ridgewood Theater to Birmingham would be
’‘bittersweet.’‘ But he said, ’‘At least it would allow future
generations to cherish it.’'
Howard, if a historic theater was facing demolition, the facade and some interior architectural attributes could be transported elsewhere, and resurrected. It’s true some history would be sacrificed, but if it was facing imminent demolition, it would certainly be better than seeing a theater in a landfill.
The Ridgewood Theatre is staying put, and may be landmarked shortly. No worries.
The theater would not be saved.
What would happen to the relocated parts? What would be their use? Why would the couple do this? It would be an enormous cost.
Even if somehow (which I doubt would ever happen) you were to un-assemble a facade and transport it thousands of miles (away from its original historic context of community) and paste it to a new building, and place some artifacts within the new building, and then proclaim that you have saved the theater, you would have not saved the theater. You would have told the public & developers that instead of saving historic architecture, you could move bits & parts & that such saving is good enough. That would be harmful to the historic preservation movement.
It would do much more harm having greedy developers win out by discarding our gems in a landfill. Something is better than nothing when it comes to preservation, especially when there is little that can be done.