As far as what “the people” would support I was walking down 35th Ave. by Linden Place (2 blocks away from the RKO) when I looked to my right and did a double take: A large RKO sized ornate elaborately decorated building:
it almost looks like the RKO. The description:
The “Linden Place” is a large event space and banquet hall, with a ballroom dance floor, gilt dome ceiling and faux “European ” paintings that decorate the walls. The Dim Sum isn’t so bad and the kitschy decor can be kind of charming. There’s a parking garage and a large variety of rooms, complete with plush Victorian chairs, that can accommodate a number of parties.
So it would seem that “the people” could easily adapt the RKO style. Although I wonder how happy they would be with Patrick Thompson’s mass of studio apartments: lets see $160M/357 at 25K/yr = 17.7 years, yeah sure I’d lend him the money – I think Flushing needs to plan for something just in case this doesn’t happen.
There have been theaters that have burned to the ground and been restored. Restoration has run the gamut from shell to using the foyer while the auditorium is restored. I was also actually in the RKO auditorium this February and cost items like the balcony truss, hallways stairways and exterior walls are all still intact. A lot of plaster work is also there. It has been a convenient retoric to declare it beyond repair with no survey or photos. The Thompson proposal calls for a whopping $8M to restore the lobby, which is virtually intact except for the railing and fountain, most will go into the “steel cage”. The seating: a lot of the same thing and stage are the easiest to replace. The 17 story tower will cost $160M (assuming the foundation goes as planned) is a lot more of a technical challenge. But the real cost will be with the community, when you won’t be able to park, turn onto Main St. or cross the Flushing Bay bridge for 3 years because Sky View Parc, Flushing Commons, Willets Point and a host of other developments are all scheduled to go up at the same time. In the end you won’t be able to fit on the No. 7 or any bus line either.
It was my observation that much of the damage fits into two categories: incurred during the dismantling of the triplex subdivision; or by design: the specific removal of architectural details and fixtures crated and stored in the theater. I have assembled a youtube presentation at:
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=117fo2tVDvg[/url]
The RKO is a community cultural asset that should not be compromised for a scheme that proposes to save a portion at the expense of the whole; the theater and lobby are integrally tied together.
BTW only the 5,000 gallon water tank remains, not sure when the 10,000 gallon tank went, but you can see it in this 1973 photo. The September 2010 tornado knocked off parts of the remaining tank putting a hole through the roof mentioned before. Demolition by neglect proceeds, now you can read about dampness and perhaps even the presence of mildew in the local papers.
Thanks Ed I’ll uncredit you, although I’m sure if you could’ve you would’ve – perhaps they are from “evilcamera” who last posted Flickr stuff here in 2007, all gone now (who knows maybe I did take it – but there are no more).
I wouldn’t want the Phantom of the RKO on my conscience
Yes welcome back Ed, I think you posted this photo here about 5 years ago (I am humbly hosting with your credit), it’s an important photo because the crates are numbered up to 43 in this view alone. I suspect that many of the hacked off details from the auditorium are in these crates. I saw a large makeshift enclosure where the fountain was – I assume these crates are inside.
Remember that the RKO was designed and built for live performances something that can be quite successful – witness the RKO Pantages:
If it ever was subdivided again note that the Thomas Lamb designed Metro Big Theatre, in Mumbai India, now a hexiplex, renovated in 2006 for state of the art digital cinema, is expected to receive 20 million visitors:
However I do wonder about how successful 357 “market rate” units will be on Flushing’s most congested intersection.
No problem, about to give up picture taking I was on my way to the airport when I noticed a homeless guy with a shopping cart, loaded with scraps, going out of the unlocked front door, seems that when Boymelgreen left and Thompson came things got a little lax. This could be a smart move because if it burns down there goes that landmark issue. Lots of graffiti, apparently some kids set up a club house with disposed furniture in the stage area called “The Cage”. I ask only that you close the door when your done then call the 109th. I can tell you that the business case for building more residential units is overwhelming:
The RKO Keith’s, in February 2011 has a Phantom of the Opera feel. The original screen and curtains are still there, but barely visible to the left. The under stage entryways, including one that leads to a ramp from the animal room, can be seen toward the back right.
The light over the stage comes from a hole in the roof that you can see above the “L” in Lemon (like what is being proposed for this site) in this photo:
the light from the foyer comes from the gap over the top of the ramshackle plywood covering the street entrance; otherwise it was very dark and hard to focus.
This is a 2011 short 30 second clip of the interior of the RKO Keith’s in Flushing Queens. The view scans from the stage to the rear facing the balcony, shot in night mode. The balcony support truss can be seen intact. Much of the plaster work, from the proscenium and along the sides is still there,
Time to come up with another email and physical mail address list, I’ll work on that and post it here. I would not minimize the importance of regulatory approval – it’s all a matter of pointing out roadblocks that will cut into profitability – and that makes it difficult to convince a lender what the profit per square foot will be. I’d rather see a boarded up hulk for another 10 years than see the stifling congestion that this will contribute toward (so it’s really two issues: over-development and landmark preservation).
The gallery link as a slide show (new views are at the end): RKO Keith’s slideshow
27 new auditorium photos from 2011 added, a lot of original detail remains and hopefully will not end up in a dumpster before they find out they won’t get an FAA height variance regardless of what CB 7 approves on 2/14.
1) Constructing apartments at a critical access intersection will only exacerbate the negative impacts on traffic from other slated development activity, while creating a long term congestion problem for an area already burdened with one of the highest rates in NYC.
2) Forever loose the potential that the existing viable steel frame structure offers, as a large event and entertainment center, in addition to putting the landmarked portions at risk. The amount of irreparable auditorium damage is debatable, as the predominant component of the open space was a lot of the same thing: seating; while there is a sufficient amount of interior plaster work to form the basis for a restoration.
You can argue who would pay for restoration (it will never be someone in the business of real estate development), but you can easily determine who has paid for this thing to sit unoccupied for 25 years, in tax revenue and adjacent property value, and in all likelihood continue to be paying for it.
If there is one thing that Flushing needs less of it is more congestion and rental/condos. To convert the RKO into 357 rental units while at the same time developing Flushing Commons' 620 condos with the Macedonia Plaza’s 140 “affordable” units, also adding another 652 condos to the existing 448 condos at ‘Sky View Parc’(how are they doing these days?), not to mention the 72-unit Prince Plaza, the Victoria Tower, 38-30 Parsons Boulevard and converting the YMCA into more condos (so that they can move into Flushing Commons) in a three year construction phase is something that Flushing will never recover from.
Easy to demolish
Difficult but possible to restore in current framework (been done before)
Impossible to replace design, workmanship and history once it’s gone
Wouldn’t it be tragic to start construction of a 16 story condominium, while painstakingly preserving a landmarked foyer, only to find out that the best you could do is a 7' ceiling height per floor to get the magic ‘approved’ FAR 7.5?
As far as what “the people” would support I was walking down 35th Ave. by Linden Place (2 blocks away from the RKO) when I looked to my right and did a double take: A large RKO sized ornate elaborately decorated building:
it almost looks like the RKO. The description:
The “Linden Place” is a large event space and banquet hall, with a ballroom dance floor, gilt dome ceiling and faux “European ” paintings that decorate the walls. The Dim Sum isn’t so bad and the kitschy decor can be kind of charming. There’s a parking garage and a large variety of rooms, complete with plush Victorian chairs, that can accommodate a number of parties.
So it would seem that “the people” could easily adapt the RKO style. Although I wonder how happy they would be with Patrick Thompson’s mass of studio apartments: lets see $160M/357 at 25K/yr = 17.7 years, yeah sure I’d lend him the money – I think Flushing needs to plan for something just in case this doesn’t happen.
There have been theaters that have burned to the ground and been restored. Restoration has run the gamut from shell to using the foyer while the auditorium is restored. I was also actually in the RKO auditorium this February and cost items like the balcony truss, hallways stairways and exterior walls are all still intact. A lot of plaster work is also there. It has been a convenient retoric to declare it beyond repair with no survey or photos. The Thompson proposal calls for a whopping $8M to restore the lobby, which is virtually intact except for the railing and fountain, most will go into the “steel cage”. The seating: a lot of the same thing and stage are the easiest to replace. The 17 story tower will cost $160M (assuming the foundation goes as planned) is a lot more of a technical challenge. But the real cost will be with the community, when you won’t be able to park, turn onto Main St. or cross the Flushing Bay bridge for 3 years because Sky View Parc, Flushing Commons, Willets Point and a host of other developments are all scheduled to go up at the same time. In the end you won’t be able to fit on the No. 7 or any bus line either.
It was my observation that much of the damage fits into two categories: incurred during the dismantling of the triplex subdivision; or by design: the specific removal of architectural details and fixtures crated and stored in the theater. I have assembled a youtube presentation at:
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=117fo2tVDvg[/url]
The RKO is a community cultural asset that should not be compromised for a scheme that proposes to save a portion at the expense of the whole; the theater and lobby are integrally tied together.
I was looking through my shots of the auditorium organ screen:
when I discovered this interesting “Beauty and the Beast” Character:
BTW only the 5,000 gallon water tank remains, not sure when the 10,000 gallon tank went, but you can see it in this 1973 photo. The September 2010 tornado knocked off parts of the remaining tank putting a hole through the roof mentioned before. Demolition by neglect proceeds, now you can read about dampness and perhaps even the presence of mildew in the local papers.
Hey that was kinda close! Good thing they got that variance – close enough to make a glass wall undulate:
The above figure is a detail from the East side of the proscenium and one of the many surviving artifacts from the de-landmarked auditorium.
Thanks Ed I’ll uncredit you, although I’m sure if you could’ve you would’ve – perhaps they are from “evilcamera” who last posted Flickr stuff here in 2007, all gone now (who knows maybe I did take it – but there are no more).
I wouldn’t want the Phantom of the RKO on my conscience
Yes welcome back Ed, I think you posted this photo here about 5 years ago (I am humbly hosting with your credit), it’s an important photo because the crates are numbered up to 43 in this view alone. I suspect that many of the hacked off details from the auditorium are in these crates. I saw a large makeshift enclosure where the fountain was – I assume these crates are inside.
Remember that the RKO was designed and built for live performances something that can be quite successful – witness the RKO Pantages:
If it ever was subdivided again note that the Thomas Lamb designed Metro Big Theatre, in Mumbai India, now a hexiplex, renovated in 2006 for state of the art digital cinema, is expected to receive 20 million visitors:
However I do wonder about how successful 357 “market rate” units will be on Flushing’s most congested intersection.
more and more condos
No problem, about to give up picture taking I was on my way to the airport when I noticed a homeless guy with a shopping cart, loaded with scraps, going out of the unlocked front door, seems that when Boymelgreen left and Thompson came things got a little lax. This could be a smart move because if it burns down there goes that landmark issue. Lots of graffiti, apparently some kids set up a club house with disposed furniture in the stage area called “The Cage”. I ask only that you close the door when your done then call the 109th. I can tell you that the business case for building more residential units is overwhelming:
The RKO Keith’s, in February 2011 has a Phantom of the Opera feel. The original screen and curtains are still there, but barely visible to the left. The under stage entryways, including one that leads to a ramp from the animal room, can be seen toward the back right.
The light over the stage comes from a hole in the roof that you can see above the “L” in Lemon (like what is being proposed for this site) in this photo:
the light from the foyer comes from the gap over the top of the ramshackle plywood covering the street entrance; otherwise it was very dark and hard to focus.
This is a 2011 short 30 second clip of the interior of the RKO Keith’s in Flushing Queens. The view scans from the stage to the rear facing the balcony, shot in night mode. The balcony support truss can be seen intact. Much of the plaster work, from the proscenium and along the sides is still there,
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL09FOubmmw[/url]
Corrected link for gallery: [url]http://www.wideimaging.com/Queens/Landmarks-Preservation/Flushing-RKO-Keiths/8166185_iSaTb[/url]
Time to come up with another email and physical mail address list, I’ll work on that and post it here. I would not minimize the importance of regulatory approval – it’s all a matter of pointing out roadblocks that will cut into profitability – and that makes it difficult to convince a lender what the profit per square foot will be. I’d rather see a boarded up hulk for another 10 years than see the stifling congestion that this will contribute toward (so it’s really two issues: over-development and landmark preservation).
The gallery link as a slide show (new views are at the end): RKO Keith’s slideshow
27 new auditorium photos from 2011 added, a lot of original detail remains and hopefully will not end up in a dumpster before they find out they won’t get an FAA height variance regardless of what CB 7 approves on 2/14.
Really 2 separate issues:
1) Constructing apartments at a critical access intersection will only exacerbate the negative impacts on traffic from other slated development activity, while creating a long term congestion problem for an area already burdened with one of the highest rates in NYC.
2) Forever loose the potential that the existing viable steel frame structure offers, as a large event and entertainment center, in addition to putting the landmarked portions at risk. The amount of irreparable auditorium damage is debatable, as the predominant component of the open space was a lot of the same thing: seating; while there is a sufficient amount of interior plaster work to form the basis for a restoration.
You can argue who would pay for restoration (it will never be someone in the business of real estate development), but you can easily determine who has paid for this thing to sit unoccupied for 25 years, in tax revenue and adjacent property value, and in all likelihood continue to be paying for it.
Well I guess if they say it’s “trashed” and there is nothing left it must be true.
If there is one thing that Flushing needs less of it is more congestion and rental/condos. To convert the RKO into 357 rental units while at the same time developing Flushing Commons' 620 condos with the Macedonia Plaza’s 140 “affordable” units, also adding another 652 condos to the existing 448 condos at ‘Sky View Parc’(how are they doing these days?), not to mention the 72-unit Prince Plaza, the Victoria Tower, 38-30 Parsons Boulevard and converting the YMCA into more condos (so that they can move into Flushing Commons) in a three year construction phase is something that Flushing will never recover from.
Click the above pic to launch video
A short video about the RKO
Easy to demolish
Difficult but possible to restore in current framework (been done before)
Impossible to replace design, workmanship and history once it’s gone
Wouldn’t it be tragic to start construction of a 16 story condominium, while painstakingly preserving a landmarked foyer, only to find out that the best you could do is a 7' ceiling height per floor to get the magic ‘approved’ FAR 7.5?
