Hi,
Permits were issued in 2012 and interior of theater was gutted. It you go by today you will see they have added steel beams inside shell of building. It looks like they are adding four floors of space above orchestra level. I also went up to the old roof open air theater. It had a separate stair way in the inside that went up to it. When I gained access I went from supper market back storage area. There was a ladder that went up 10 feet to top of store ceiling. There were sheets of plywood on top of supports for ceiling that went to left box seat. You entered box seat and then hallways. Lobby of theater had a car repair shop in it. Stairs were bricked up. The store manager said it was safe but I had doubts. JOHN D.
Hi,
Sorry to say this, but there is a NYC department of buildings permit posted in window to left of theater entrance. The permit allows all interior partitions to be removed. I visited for a friend who has an architectural ornaments business. Whole interior has been gutted out. Ceiling, walls, seats all gone. Just large piles of plaster and bricks. Shortly additional permits will be issued allowing the demolition of rest of building. I had visited savoy in 80’s 90’s and again after 2000 when Rev. Armstrong was the pastor. Each time I was there it always looked like it needed major work which they could not afford. I use to do repair work in projection rooms of the small independent theaters, these old theaters were a good source of cheap parts.
For the record NYC in 1943 had over 570 theaters in operation. Today only a hand full are still in operation and some of them are only part time. Also in Brooklyn the old Regent theater (aka Slave) may have been sold. It may be next on hit list of developers. John D.
Hi, Permits were issued in 2012 and interior of theater was gutted. It you go by today you will see they have added steel beams inside shell of building. It looks like they are adding four floors of space above orchestra level. I also went up to the old roof open air theater. It had a separate stair way in the inside that went up to it. When I gained access I went from supper market back storage area. There was a ladder that went up 10 feet to top of store ceiling. There were sheets of plywood on top of supports for ceiling that went to left box seat. You entered box seat and then hallways. Lobby of theater had a car repair shop in it. Stairs were bricked up. The store manager said it was safe but I had doubts. JOHN D.
Hi, Sorry to say this, but there is a NYC department of buildings permit posted in window to left of theater entrance. The permit allows all interior partitions to be removed. I visited for a friend who has an architectural ornaments business. Whole interior has been gutted out. Ceiling, walls, seats all gone. Just large piles of plaster and bricks. Shortly additional permits will be issued allowing the demolition of rest of building. I had visited savoy in 80’s 90’s and again after 2000 when Rev. Armstrong was the pastor. Each time I was there it always looked like it needed major work which they could not afford. I use to do repair work in projection rooms of the small independent theaters, these old theaters were a good source of cheap parts. For the record NYC in 1943 had over 570 theaters in operation. Today only a hand full are still in operation and some of them are only part time. Also in Brooklyn the old Regent theater (aka Slave) may have been sold. It may be next on hit list of developers. John D.